Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan Haft"Confluence" takes an intimate look into the world of the artist Charlotte Watson. Her insight reveals the beauty that can emerge when noticing the patterns of the natural world. The film is set during one of the world's longest Covid-19 lockdowns in Naarm/Melbourne. To keep going during the pandemic, Charlotte walked the streets every night to watch the bats whose sense of time began to give her certainty. If she saw their migration in the evening, she had made it through another day, in a time where duration and the calendar ceased to matter.
Director: Eva OtsingDidier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotThe goal of “Rebirth“ is not to “tell“ the audience about nature's knowledge and environmental protection responsibilities, but to lead the audience into this magnificent small universe, let all beings tell their own stories, and then return to the comparison between the audience and the natural life. It hopes to express the universal "humanity" through the film. Humans and insects are actually indistinguishable beings. If people can see what they are like from the habits and appearances of creatures, they may be able to empathize and share this wonderful experience. Small universe, big world.
Director: Chia-Lung Chan"Under Control" shows human action from the insect's level. The botanical garden is an artificial nature-like installation where each room has its own microclimate. Despite human attempts to control the environment, pests are spreading and eating the plants all over the garden. The gardeners are fighting against the pests with cryptobugs; thousands of ladybirds that are specially bred for killing and imported from abroad. But since cryptobugs alone don’t solve the problem, the gardeners have to rely on the help of an exterminator who kills the pests as well as all the other insects with poisons. As the remedies get harsher, the bystanders will have to face the consequences.
Director: Ville KoskinenA humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg Rüppell‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftIn the Gambia, the smallest country of mainland Africa, fish is now being powdered up by Chinese corporations and exported to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. As a result, Gambians are being deprived of their primary source of protein, overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. The film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones. The first film on Gambia’s fishmeal factories offering a unique insight into untold drivers of migration and the role played by women in new economic systems. There’s so much to worry about in the world but “Stolen Fish“ is a 30 minute microcosm of what is wrong with it.
Director: Gosia JuszczakAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause devastation, governments and their peoples search for the source of the deadly infection. But the questions may have uncomfortable answers. There is nothing new about viruses that jump from animals to humans causing life-threatening diseases. Some suspect the armadillo-like pangolin may be the source of COVID-19, but the issue is really how the illegal and brutal wildlife trade, which sees slaughtered animals packed on top of one another, bodily fluids mixing, has created a potential for deadly viruses to jump species. For decades experts have called on governments to connect human, animal and environmental health. Conservationist Jane Goodall, marine activist Paul Watson and other experts discuss their perspectives - and the lessons we need to learn.
Director:Creating a dress for ten euros in Europe, in less than a fortnight. It’s not only possible, but it’s becoming the norm. Since the fashion industry went down the path of fast-fashion, it’s always both faster and cheaper - no matter the consequences. Let’s start with those suffering the most: the workers. They work between 12 and 15 hours a day for salaries less than half the legal minimum wage. And in abominable working conditions. Chemical products in textile factories often poison the workers and local residents. According to the brands, they no longer have time to create. In order to satisfy an insatiable consumer appetite, copying the competition’s models makes things go faster and cheaper - even if it means risking a court case now and then.
Director: Gilles Bovon, Edouard PerrinOver the last 50 years, our use of phosphate based fertilizers has quadrupled. These are essential to modern agriculture, used especially for growing potatoes. Most fertilizers come from Morocco, where the pollution from phosphate mines is poisoning local drinking supplies, causing birth defects in animals and health problems in children. But also present in most phosphate-based fertilizer is cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to kidney and bone disease. A team of journalists, in collaboration with European scientists, set out to search for evidence of the extent of pollution in Morocco. They also want to see if the cadmium in these fertilizers is contaminating potatoes and entering the food chain. Their revelations will make the news and change the law. In this investigation, the Green Warriors team reveal the implications of our addiction to cheap fertilizer.
Director: Martin Boudot"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueDidier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotIn Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaA birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachFilmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampTwo people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovIn Switzerland and all around the world, young people are on the streets and strike for climate. This commitment is ideological, but also personal and intimate. These young people are living in a state of emergency, they fear for tomorrow.
Director: Adrien Bordone, Bastien BösigerIn Switzerland and all around the world, young people are on the streets and strike for climate. This commitment is ideological, but also personal and intimate. These young people are living in a state of emergency, they fear for tomorrow.
Director: Adrien Bordone, Bastien BösigerIn the Southeastern-most part of Germany, rises Mount Watzmann. This mighty peak is a stone guardian of a remarkable wild region that holds tight to its secret nature. There are more secrets to reveal where the mountains disappear into the depths of Lake Königssee, a lake that holds a stark resemblance to a fjord at the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. Underwater, fossil marine creatures in limestone rock tell of an ancient seabed, buried deep then heaved skywards by battling tectonic plates. Deep grooves and gouges in the rock were left by an ice age glacier, more than one kilometer thick as it chiseled its way down the valley. Though the ice age ended 12,000 years ago, the mountains still carry echoes of that frozen past. “Echoes of the Ice Age“ is a portrait of the wildlife in this breathtaking scenery of the Berchtesgaden Alps.
Director: Jan HaftThis episode focuses on the warm months of the year. In the western foothills of the Alps in Italy and France, the Mediterranean flora and fauna meets the animals and plants of the alpine environment. When lizards in the low-lying olive groves begin seeking out mates in spring, the marmots are still hibernating in their burrows in the snow-covered higher elevations. In one of the deepest Alpine river canyons, Verdon Gorge, the griffon vultures have already begun to reproduce and rear their young. Meanwhile, higher up, a golden eagle continues to circle above its still-frozen realm. Eventually, the snow gives in to the ever-warming temperatures and begins to melt; the perfect moment for marmots to emerge. After six long months of hibernation, it’s a blast to stretch some legs and stock up on nutritious food, but the marmots must be careful: the golden eagles are equally hungry and never far away. Innumerous common frogs that have spent the cold season underground now re-appear and begin their courtship in the Alpine ponds and lakes. Millions of crocuses and other harbingers of spring that were biding their time now cover the slopes in a sea of colour. Spring and summer are a time for courtship, mating, feasting, giving birth and rearing offspring - for everyone who lives and thrives in this extraordinary environment. In the Alps, summer lasts just four months and is therefore extremely demanding for most wild animal species: ibex, red deer, chamois, marmots, golden eagles, ptarmigans, mountain hares, lynxes, wolves and bears have all found ways of taking full advantage of this brief time of plenty.
Director: Otmar PenkerThere's an island in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. No one knows about it apart from the polar explorers who spend winter there. And their relatives. The sarcophaguses are situated right on the rocks. These are people who aren’t mentioned on the pages of geography textbooks. But without them it would be impossible to explore Antarctica. More than 60 years have passed since the first burial. During this time, the cemetery has never been renovated. Our team of 8 people went to Antarctica to complete this task for the first time.
Director: Olga StefanovaThere is a forest, undisturbed by man, where the noise of chainsaws is never heard. A forest where trees can live for hundreds of years and finally turn to soil in the same spot where they were born. They are born, they live, and they die… Silently, unnoticed, and still in eternal diversity. The millions of living organisms of the forest build upon this continuous circulation, each according to its own needs – depending on the living or the dead. Here, life and death cannot be separated. It is the dead that new life springs from and an entire bygone generation nourishes their offspring after their own demise. A forest… a community, a delicately interwoven thread of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. A community in which each of the elements are linked to the other and all of them serve the benefit of the Whole.
Director: Rita TakácsA small area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is home to the only colony of wild rheas living in Europe. The forebears of these ostrich-like birds from South America escaped from an enclosure in northern Germany twenty years ago. Since then, they have been multiplying largely undisturbed. Farmers complain about crop losses and conservationists suspect an impact on rare insects. Now, a researcher is on the trail of Europe's largest birds.
Director: Herbert OstwaldCoypus look like beavers with rats’ tails, but they’re South American rodents. Originally escaped from fur farms, over decades they have colonized Europe’s waterways. Here, they dig tunnels and caves in the banks and eat the vegetation. While aquatic farmers and conservationists battle against them rigorously, animal lovers in cities feed and encourage them. So how should we deal with coypus?
Director: Herbert OstwaldWe follow the uranium path from Niger to Europe to reveal the extent of the radioactive pollution created. In the Niger desert, home to some of the largest uranium reserves in the world, lies the Areva mine. Every year, Niger produces over 2,500 tons of yellow cake, a uranium concentrate, creating tons of toxic waste. Close to the mine is the village of Arlit, where radioactivity levels exceed those of the Chernobyl Prohibited Zone. Dust from the mine is carried on the winds into people’s houses, endangering their lives and killing local wildlife. From Niger, the Uranium is shipped to the Orano plant in Narbonne, France, which has become the gateway of uranium to Europe. Here it is purified before being sent on to nuclear plants, a process which again causes tons of toxic waste. Near the plant, radioactivity levels are 50 times normal and campaigners call for tighter regulation. We have taken dozens of samples from residents in both Arlit and Narbonne to learn more about uranium pollution. Our findings triggered a political debate and are now used as evidence in a lawsuit against the mining company.
Director: Martin BoudotThe story of group of young people travelling by boat from the Canary Islands to the southern part of Senegal to bring simple water filters to the Casamance area.The visual mosaic captures life of citizens of seven local villages and shows the process of implementing the Water for Senegal project of People of Hope (civic association).The Remedy shows their successes and failures, the pitfalls and problems that accompany their journey.It shows the culture and life of local people and also points out the impact of climate change on the life of communities in the region. It discusses the effectiveness and sustainability of this project and raises a question about the community's dependence on aid development. The aim of the film is to raise awareness of the world's water problems, highlight the visible effects of climate change and inspire people to take an active part in what is happening around us.
Director: Jakub Šipoš“Looking of Bears” is an adventurous story about a young man who travels to very remote mountainous areas in northern Iran to find and recognize brown bears. He lives in these areas for six months, during which time he manages to meet a family of bears and try his luck at getting closer to them. Although he goes through many ups and downs during this period, but in the end, he succeeds not only in getting closer to the bear family but also in following their lives closely and witnessing the ups and downs of their lives.
Director: Mahdi ChalaniA poetic, yet honest look at how climate change affects Antarctica and its ecosystems and in return affects the rest of the planet and humanity. A testimony from those working on the front line of the battle witnessing the changes first hand. With the world on a knife’s edge with the climate crises we’re facing and Antarctica breaking the record in 2020 for its highest ever recorded temperatures, a man-made mass extinction looms, but it’s not too late yet.
Director: Willem van den HeeverRappelling the highest waterfalls on earth becomes a great challenge for a group of Slovak friends. They want to fuse with the water element. Their expeditions become journeys into the unknown and the only certainty is the power of their friendship. Can they abseil of the highest waterfalls of the world?
Director: Pavol BarabasOver the last 50 years, our use of phosphate based fertilizers has quadrupled. These are essential to modern agriculture, used especially for growing potatoes. Most fertilizers come from Morocco, where the pollution from phosphate mines is poisoning local drinking supplies, causing birth defects in animals and health problems in children. But also present in most phosphate-based fertilizer is cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to kidney and bone disease. A team of journalists, in collaboration with European scientists, set out to search for evidence of the extent of pollution in Morocco. They also want to see if the cadmium in these fertilizers is contaminating potatoes and entering the food chain. Their revelations will make the news and change the law. In this investigation, the Green Warriors team reveal the implications of our addiction to cheap fertilizer.
Director: Martin BoudotWolves are back! Having been exterminated in the Broumov region in the Czech Republic more than two hundred years ago, wolves have been slowly returning to the countryside and changing the lives of the locals. The documentary “Wolves at the Borders” looks at the contradictory reactions to their arrival: while for some people they offer hope of making the nature healthier, others see them only as enemies killing helpless farm animals who cannot be effectively protected. Are we able to coexist with wolves and with each other?
Director: Martin PávTwo people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovRussia. Roughly two thirds of the Arctic belongs to the worlds largest country. Here, Siberia alone has the size of Australia. An enormous chunk of cold land framed by icy seas. Large areas of Northern Russia used to be no-go zones for decades. For the first time, scientists of all over the world are beginning to explore this huge area and what they find is alarming. Gigantic canyons, “megaslumps”, are opening up where used to be endless taiga forest. Enormous layers of permafrost are thawing out and revealing remains of the ancient Siberian megafauna. In the Russian Arctic, climate change is not a question anymore. Its happening, now and there, at a worrying pace. Scientists say, that the tipping point was reached already years ago. Now, Pandora’s box has been opened. The fate of people and wildlife is at stake as is the entire Arctic.
Director: Henry M. Mix"Whale From Lorino" is a film about the descendants of the oldest of Siberian tribes on the far away land of Chukotka. For them, the yearly hunt for the endangered whale is not only a tradition, but a necessity for surviving winter in a fragile place devastated by Soviet influence. The clash of two disappearing worlds; Chukchis civilisation and the universe of monumental and majestic whales in a story about the paradox of history and a harsh fight for survival.
Director: Maciej CuskeLofty Katakarinja is an Arrernte Elder and Shaun Angeles a young man learning cultural knowledge from him. A hundred years ago something precious was taken from their people. They travel from Central Australia to the other side of the World, tracking part of their cultural heritage. What they encounter in Finland, an environment completely different from their own place of origin, is something very powerful. A Hundred Year Journey is based on a project by the Helinä Rautavaara Museum. It documents a rare encounter between cultural objects, the heirs of their original owners and creators, and two museums. The storyline follows the journey of these objects collected by missionary Oskar Liebler, who worked in Hermannsburg in central Australia in the early 20th century. Liebler collected approximately 2000 cultural objects from local First Nations communities, among which were the Arrernte Peoples. A part of his collection ended up in Finland.
Director: Antti Tuomas Seppänen"Entangled" is an award-winning, feature-length film about how climate change has accelerated a collision between one of the world’s most endangered species, North America’s most valuable fishery, and a federal agency mandated to protect both. The film chronicles the efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, the impacts of those efforts on the lobster industry, and how the National Marine Fisheries Service has struggled to balance the vying interests.
Director: David Abel"Following a boisterous journey on a local rundown fishing boat I landed on the long yearned Siberut island in the Mentawai archipelago, 90 miles west of Sumatra, Indonesia." In 1969 Adriano Zecca, then 24 years old, wrote brief notes on his travel journal on his incredible adventure in one of the most mysterious and less known places on earth. This extraordinary experience, shared with an almost uncontaminated indigenous community, marked the beginning of his job as a documentarian. In July 2019, after half a century of travels, reportages, and documentaries, fulfilling a career which led him to the most remote parts of the world, the Italian director is left with a haunting question from the past: What happened to the small island of Siberut and to the "flower people" inhabiting it? This documentary is an attempt to answer that question but, above all, it is the story of an emotional return journey and of an existential balancing of a lifetime. Fifty years on Adriano Zecca traces back his first trip together with his family; his wife Magda, Spanish painter, and his two sons Eloy and Raúl, a cinematographer and an anthropologist respectively.
Director: Adriano ZeccaAustralia’s fauna has a long, impressive history of surviving on the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Fire is a force that has shaped the nature of Australia. However, as this bushfire season has made brutally clear, climate change is increasing the scale and intensity of bushfires. ‘After the Wildfires’ charts the long-term recovery of wildlife in the aftermath of Australia’s recent catastrophic bushfires through stories of hope, human intervention and resilience. It provides an urgent message to safeguard our environment and bring about the necessary intervention required to maintain biodiversity on our planet, before it is too late.
Director: Cian O'CleryA birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinThe coastal plain on the northern coast of Alaska is a unique place. For millennia it has been the summer home for huge herds of caribou and countless migratory birds. The area supports a greater variety of plant and animal life than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle. This is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR in short. This film shows the splendor, enormous scope and indescribable beauty of this untouched land far to the north of Alaska, one of the last havens for caribou herds and polar bears. Shot over a period of four years this film offers a unique insight in the lives of the most charismatic arctic animals. But this unique paradise hides another natural treasure. Almost 8 million barrels of oil are believed to be recoverable from this part of the Arctic, most of it within an area designated as “1002”. The refuge is now under threat.
Director: Martin MészárosFabiano is haunted by nightmares. They are a reflection of his life as the heir of his father’s small-scale agricultural business, located in an isolated valley of Southern Switzerland. He owns fifty goats and eight cows and is trying his best to produce the special alp cheese that first made his hippie parents back in the 1980s. But nothing is going the way it should... He is in debt, the alpine hut that he rents for the summer is dilapidated, and the goats cheese business is no longer profitable. His thoughts wander back to a fatal accident occurred the previous year to a Macedonian illegal worker. His death is haunting him, because he feels that he is at least in part responsible for it. Fabiano is not exactly in a good place to start a family, but will be a father soon. His girlfriend Eva is expecting and hoping to fulfill her dreams of a simple life surrounded by nature and animals. But how can they build a life together in such difficult circumstances?
Director: Aldo GugolzThere is a place where emotions burst out several times a year and the life of the local community is changed forever. The halny wind comes in cycles, in every spring and autumn. One never knows if or when it turns into a destructive gale. Halny particularly affects the inhabitants of Zakopane and its area, changing picturesque mountain trails into a set for an untamed performance of a human struggle against destructive forces of nature.
Director: Michał BielawskiIn the Southeastern-most part of Germany, rises Mount Watzmann. This mighty peak is a stone guardian of a remarkable wild region that holds tight to its secret nature. There are more secrets to reveal where the mountains disappear into the depths of Lake Königssee, a lake that holds a stark resemblance to a fjord at the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. Underwater, fossil marine creatures in limestone rock tell of an ancient seabed, buried deep then heaved skywards by battling tectonic plates. Deep grooves and gouges in the rock were left by an ice age glacier, more than one kilometer thick as it chiseled its way down the valley. Though the ice age ended 12,000 years ago, the mountains still carry echoes of that frozen past. “Echoes of the Ice Age“ is a portrait of the wildlife in this breathtaking scenery of the Berchtesgaden Alps.
Director: Jan HaftIn the Gambia, the smallest country of mainland Africa, fish is now being powdered up by Chinese corporations and exported to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. As a result, Gambians are being deprived of their primary source of protein, overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. The film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones. The first film on Gambia’s fishmeal factories offering a unique insight into untold drivers of migration and the role played by women in new economic systems. There’s so much to worry about in the world but “Stolen Fish“ is a 30 minute microcosm of what is wrong with it.
Director: Gosia JuszczakIn the middle of Europe a mysterious, irreplaceable wilderness draws migrating birds from across the continent and beyond. Feathered guests from all over the world travel through this refuge in the West of Germany. In spring, countless rare bird species rest in the small, watery wilderness to recharge their batteries before heading to their Nordic breeding grounds. Some travel up to 7,000 kilometers. Without natural wetlands along their routes, they would hardly be able to achieve this grueling feat. But this was not always the case. Once a place where an entire city’s wastewater was deposited, this landscape has become a paradise for Europe’s birds. At a time when intensive agriculture causes nature to wither and wild meadows to become agricultural steppes, this nature reserve has become an island that offers refuge and living space for some of the most threatened animals.
Director: Christian Baumeister, Max MeisThis is the story of Cazadora, a young female puma and the only survivor of her mother Solitaria’s four cubs. Cazadora has survived all alone in the Torres del Paine mountains of Patagonia. But she still has a lot to learn – how to hunt successfully, and how to avoid conflicts with other pumas. Eventually, Cazadora makes her old family territory her home again. And she is carrying on her mother’s heritage, as she gives birth to four cubs as well.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertThis film tells the dramatic story of Solitaria, a puma mother with four cubs. The place is Torres del Paine, a mountain massif in Patagonia, deep in the south of Chile. It is an intimate family portrait: moving, sad, joyful. We follow Solitaria through the difficulties of early motherhood, as she develops techniques to outsmart the guanacos, her preferred prey, to be able and feed her young that depend on her. But ultimately, tragedy strikes.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinDocumentary series "Worlds of Water" is a fascinating journey to Finland’s aquatic nature. These documentaries present director Petteri Saario’s deep dive into the wonders of water with his 24-year-old son Antti. Father and son travel through historical waterways and peek underwater to the world of fish. They discuss the importance of water and its enchanting forms, study the fascinating myths of water and enjoy its healing powers. Join them on a unique journey to the wonders of Finnish waters!
Director: Petteri Saario"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueMeet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökSnow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. During the festive season, our thoughts turn to a distant winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realize. It is an ever-changing wilderness, filled with extraordinary wild creatures. During the long, dark winter, musk ox stand sentinel in the biting wind, golden eagles fight over prey and great grey owls roam huge distances through the frozen forest. When summer arrives, the sun never sets as reindeer migrate north, owls race to breed and bears and wolves fight over food. This beautiful, lyrical portrayal of Santa’s wild home makes for ideal festive viewing and will leaving you wondering whether a place so magical truly exists.
Director: Matt Hamilton"Under Control" shows human action from the insect's level. The botanical garden is an artificial nature-like installation where each room has its own microclimate. Despite human attempts to control the environment, pests are spreading and eating the plants all over the garden. The gardeners are fighting against the pests with cryptobugs; thousands of ladybirds that are specially bred for killing and imported from abroad. But since cryptobugs alone don’t solve the problem, the gardeners have to rely on the help of an exterminator who kills the pests as well as all the other insects with poisons. As the remedies get harsher, the bystanders will have to face the consequences.
Director: Ville KoskinenFilmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampA very personal cinematic journey to four indigenous peoples and their shamans unexpectedly turns into an exciting testimony to the struggle for survival of these unique nomad cultures, whose physical and cultural future is existentially threatened by climate change. To give these people a voice and tell about their destiny, the director Natalie Halla has travelled to the most extreme places of the world and spent time with the Waorani Indians in Ecuador, the sea nomads in Malaysia, the Himba in Namibia and the reindeer nomads in Mongolia.
Director: Natalie HallaWolves are back! Having been exterminated in the Broumov region in the Czech Republic more than two hundred years ago, wolves have been slowly returning to the countryside and changing the lives of the locals. The documentary “Wolves at the Borders” looks at the contradictory reactions to their arrival: while for some people they offer hope of making the nature healthier, others see them only as enemies killing helpless farm animals who cannot be effectively protected. Are we able to coexist with wolves and with each other?
Director: Martin PávDocumentary filmmaker Jouni Hiltunen has filmed Cranes for many years. He decides to once again follow the Crane family's summer in Finland from early spring to the birth of a Crane chick. After the nesting he packs his car and leaves on a so-called ”birds road” with migrating Cranes, towards Hungary and finally to Israel, to find out if there is a winter paradise for migrating Cranes somewhere. The film about the year of the Cranes and the migration journey expands to a story about the coexistence of a man and nature in a rapidly changing world.
Director: Jouni HiltunenSome of this planet's mysteries we get. It fills us with great pride and satisfaction. But how can we claim some deeper insight into the ways of the world if we don't fully understand ourselves, never mind the humble mosquito? “Of Mosquitoes and Men“ is a contemplative journey into the habitat of creatures both large and small, fathered by the Estonian nature and its fertile soil. The mosquito has assumed the role of the smallest of the living beings, and man the most important of them all. This documentary delves deep into the symbiosis between the two and into our mission on this blue sphere we call home.
Director: Madis Ligema“Hempman vs. the State“ is a story of a man who wants to cultivate cannabis openly and without asking for permissions. Authorities are not in favor of his endeavor, and although the fields are blooming, many obstacles stand in the way of the harvest. The film goes through a decade-long story of Finnish farmer Timo Haara’s quest to grow cannabis and its ramifications, showing us what civil disobedience and fighting against the system can do to a man.
Director: Sampsa HuttunenAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause devastation, governments and their peoples search for the source of the deadly infection. But the questions may have uncomfortable answers. There is nothing new about viruses that jump from animals to humans causing life-threatening diseases. Some suspect the armadillo-like pangolin may be the source of COVID-19, but the issue is really how the illegal and brutal wildlife trade, which sees slaughtered animals packed on top of one another, bodily fluids mixing, has created a potential for deadly viruses to jump species. For decades experts have called on governments to connect human, animal and environmental health. Conservationist Jane Goodall, marine activist Paul Watson and other experts discuss their perspectives - and the lessons we need to learn.
Director:The spirit of a movement that sometimes reminds us of our young revolutionary self, who still believed that he/she could change the world. This green filmed documentary mirrors the global situation and the diversity of climate change related activism. 6 continents, 3 dozen filmmakers, countless activists and seasoned scientists. It is not about just one person but about many who stand up. The topic of climate activism itself as a protagonist takes us on a global journey to activists' lives and forms a dialogue within. Very personal but not private - to protect the activists' privacy, sensitive topics are woven in as a fictional part. In this film, the history of climate change related activism is highlighted. In its core spirit of a holistic approach, the project is been realized similarly to its topic of the climate activists' movement: independent, global, green.
Director: Simona TheoharovaNõva region appears to be one of most beautiful areas in Estonia. Singing dunes, sand and living nature is viewed through a year, from summer to summer.
Director: Aare BaumerCreating a dress for ten euros in Europe, in less than a fortnight. It’s not only possible, but it’s becoming the norm. Since the fashion industry went down the path of fast-fashion, it’s always both faster and cheaper - no matter the consequences. Let’s start with those suffering the most: the workers. They work between 12 and 15 hours a day for salaries less than half the legal minimum wage. And in abominable working conditions. Chemical products in textile factories often poison the workers and local residents. According to the brands, they no longer have time to create. In order to satisfy an insatiable consumer appetite, copying the competition’s models makes things go faster and cheaper - even if it means risking a court case now and then.
Director: Gilles Bovon, Edouard PerrinNew-born snow leopard cubs peer blinking from a small cave on a Tibetan hillside. Their eyes are blue, full of innocent curiosity. We see their world as they grow up, and we follow their mother in a unique portrait of their world, full of beauty and humor. A strange looking Tibetan fox catches a pika. A beautiful lynx family bask in the sun. A Tibetan bear teaches her cub how to find food, and they roll together down the hillside for the fun of it. Strange birds and mammals add to the snow leopard cub’s story. Friendship, cooperation and care is evident throughout the snow leopard cub’s world.
Director: Xi Zhinong, Zi Ding, Da Jie, Qu PengA Spanish imperial eagle flies over forests scorched by the heat. This is one of the most endangered eagle species in the world and it is exclusive to the Iberian Peninsula. Now the eagle must hunt to provide for its chicks. Rabbits are scarce these days and it will have to find other prey such as wood pigeons. Not far away, an Iberian lynx takes her cubs for a walk. They are big enough to come along as she explores new territories. Their adventure leads to a meeting with another lynx family - and a violent feud between these species. The acorns ripen, attracting hordes of cranes from Northern Europe that settle in the fields to eat them and stay for the winter. This is the most sought-after fruit of the Dehesa. Farmers bring herds of Iberian pigs here to get their fill. The shorter nights make way for new characters; this time, the spotlight shines on predators, including eagle owls and genets, that control the rodent population.
Director: Joaquín Gutierrez AchaOne of the world’s most exclusive and unique forests grows in Southern Europe, shaped by the hand of man over hundreds of years and pampered by the Mediterranean climate. This is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, where, even today, humans and wildlife coexist. This is the Dehesa. Many predators patrol this forest: huge eagles, lynx and mongooses vie for the same prey - the wild rabbit, whose survival depends on its exceptional fertility. Rabbits might be the most important animal in this ecosystem: the Iberian lynx, the most threatened feline in the world, depends on them. We will have the privilege of seeing how this endangered lynx hunts and provides for its cubs.
Director: Joaquín Gutierrez AchaWe live in the age of cities. New roads, buildings and urban sprawl eat up natural habitats, sending plant and animal populations in worrying decline. How does nature react to this loss of biodiversity? Could cities also harbor a possible solution? Could they turn into incubators for nature to develop never-before-seen and fast responses to human encroachment? New gene research provides unexpected insights into Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Our film accompanies teams of researchers from the USA and Europe who unravel the secret of urban evolution, showing that plants and animals adapt much faster than previously believed possible. It turns out, in our seemingly inhospitable cities, for the first time we can see Darwin’s predictions on the origins of species unfold, almost in real time. A fascinating science documentary showing new frontiers for life on Earth.
Director: Martin Gronemeyer, Michaela KirstEurope's fields and pastures were once a paradise for birds. Lapwings and larks provided the soundtrack for the farmers at work. But the birds are disappearing all over the continent. In Europe, the number of farmland birds has dropped by 17 percent since 1990. This loss is clearly a sign that something is wrong. In this documentary, the filmmaker Heiko De Groot shows why birds are disappearing and what consequences this could have for us humans. Last but not least, even our food security could depend on them.
Director: Heiko De GrootOur seasons shape the cycle of life in dramatic ways. Spring, summer, autumn or winter – every season is unique, each presenting nature with new challenges. The constant change in living conditions demands extraordinary feats from animals and plants throughout the year. And the survival strategies of the squirrel, fox and many others could hardly be more fascinating. The film takes us on a breathtaking journey of discovery through indigenous nature: after the privations of winter, life explodes in spring, the heat of summer is followed by the harvest season of autumn. Extraordinary animal stories – some humorous, some dramatic, but always with an eye to the season’s special features – bring the magic of our seasons to life.
Director: Annette Scheurich, Alexandra Sailer, Steffen Sailer, Klaus ScheurichAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinA birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas Spriestersbach"Overland" unfolds in a world increasingly driven by technology and routine, where we are losing touch with nature and our primal spirit is fading. Immersed in remote deserts, mountains, and grasslands, three extraordinary people from contrasting cultures practice the ancient art of falconry to wake their inner wild. However, in their quests to connect to the natural world, Lauren, Giovanni, and Khalifa must overcome social rejection, vanishing traditions, dwindling wilderness, elusive prey and the complicated instincts of their falcons, eagles, and hawks. The stories in Overland offer a stunning cinematic journey across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky.
Director: Elisabeth Haviland James, Revere La NoueMeet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökA humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellFilmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampIt is considered an essential aspect of life, deemed immensely valuable and worthy of the utmost protection by scientists - but what does the term "biodiversity" really mean? And why is it necessary? “Nature’s Networks“ presents compelling, unusual insights into the natural world, from Borneo to Brazil and from Tasmania and Kenya to the fjords of Norway. The various inhabitants of these varied habitats may appear significantly different, but they all share at least one feature. From hummingbirds to orangutans, every species has a clearly defined role in nature's complex network, a network built on a foundation of variety - or, more accurately, biodiversity.
Director: Susanne Lummer, Andreas RibaritsMist swirls around the base of Shanghai’s skyline. From the city, tigers and monkeys seem as unreal and distant as dragons and mermaids emerging through the mist. Yet they do exist, as rare survivors in an extraordinary and diverse landscape. From snow leopards to wild horses, and from alligators to elephants, China’s iconic wildlife is a lot more than just pandas. This is a film about rare survivors, some well know and much loved, and others important and iconic animals filmed for the first time. They are all charming, fascinating, and fragile.
Director:We all know how different we are from the rest of the primates or perhaps we don’t? This film is a familiar and funny wildlife documentary. A journey around the world to find the shared traits between monkeys, apes and us. Just like humans, our wild cousins work hard and enjoy lazing around. They take care of their own and allow themselves to be cared for. They fight each and love each other, too. They teach, learn and share their knowledge. They suffer and know how to enjoy life. The maddest trip is about to begin. Will you join us?
Director: Oriol Cervera Subirats, Juan Luis Santos, Juan Antonio Rodríguez LlanoSet in the remote mountains of China and Tibet, this film follows the perilous existence of a female snow leopard and her two young, who are less than a year old, in a valley of stunning beauty with a dazzling diversity of wildlife. Two photographer brothers came upon this lost valley in 2016 and were amazed to find it home to a dense population of snow leopards in a relatively small territory. Their discovery led to this exceptional film about an elusive big cat that is rarely caught on camera.
Director: Frédéric Larrey‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:This film tells the dramatic story of Solitaria, a puma mother with four cubs. The place is Torres del Paine, a mountain massif in Patagonia, deep in the south of Chile. It is an intimate family portrait: moving, sad, joyful. We follow Solitaria through the difficulties of early motherhood, as she develops techniques to outsmart the guanacos, her preferred prey, to be able and feed her young that depend on her. But ultimately, tragedy strikes.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertFilmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampMammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftFilmed over more than three years, filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp share yet another incredible true wildlife story. Living along the banks of the Luangwa, they closely followed a courageous, devoted mother leopard and her two newborn cubs as they each faced their own challenges in the African wilderness. From life-threatening encounters with hyenas, baboons and other leopards, to the remarkable triumphs of their most spectacular and unique hunts, and the unexpected losses that bring tragedy to their lives - the two generations of leopards bring a real, intimate story of what truly happens in the fascinating life of such a gracious, elusive big cat.
Director: Will Steenkamp, Lianne SteenkampA very personal cinematic journey to four indigenous peoples and their shamans unexpectedly turns into an exciting testimony to the struggle for survival of these unique nomad cultures, whose physical and cultural future is existentially threatened by climate change. To give these people a voice and tell about their destiny, the director Natalie Halla has travelled to the most extreme places of the world and spent time with the Waorani Indians in Ecuador, the sea nomads in Malaysia, the Himba in Namibia and the reindeer nomads in Mongolia.
Director: Natalie HallaMammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftMeet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökThis is the story of Cazadora, a young female puma and the only survivor of her mother Solitaria’s four cubs. Cazadora has survived all alone in the Torres del Paine mountains of Patagonia. But she still has a lot to learn – how to hunt successfully, and how to avoid conflicts with other pumas. Eventually, Cazadora makes her old family territory her home again. And she is carrying on her mother’s heritage, as she gives birth to four cubs as well.
Director: Dereck Joubert, Beverly JoubertIn Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaThe goal of “Rebirth“ is not to “tell“ the audience about nature's knowledge and environmental protection responsibilities, but to lead the audience into this magnificent small universe, let all beings tell their own stories, and then return to the comparison between the audience and the natural life. It hopes to express the universal "humanity" through the film. Humans and insects are actually indistinguishable beings. If people can see what they are like from the habits and appearances of creatures, they may be able to empathize and share this wonderful experience. Small universe, big world.
Director: Chia-Lung Chan‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Didier Noirot is known as one of the world’s greatest underwater cameramen and has several prestigious awards for his natural history film camerawork. Over the past 40 years, Didier has been driven by his passion for marine life, but now he’s set himself a new challenge, to film what is perhaps the largest known gathering of marine mammals in the world; hundreds of killer whales in pursuit of shoals of herring. Today, these killer whales are faced with unexpected competition from humpback whales, who began appearing in this Arctic region only a few years ago, driven by a lack of food resources in the Atlantic Ocean, their natural habitat. In the midst of this changing ecosystem, we journey to the heart of the Norwegian fjords, where Didier Noirot’s aim is to take us as close as we can get to these giants of the Arctic so we can witness first-hand their new behavior and hunting activity, which has never been captured on film before.
Director: Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier NoirotMeet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski’s horse herds on the planet. This is their story.
Director: Zoltan TörökTwo people. Two different worlds. He is a hermit and a reindeer herder. His home is mountains and taiga covered with snow. He depends only on himself, because his life is absolute freedom. She is a resident of Rome, devotes almost all of her time to work and manages to travel around Italy only during short leisure breaks. Their worlds are so different that it seems that there can be nothing in common between them. But they both know how quickly life is changing.
Director: Aleksei GolovkovA birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachIn Western Europe the otter drastically declined in numbers and even completely disappeared from The Netherlands. This was mainly due to hunting, loss of habitat, pollution and traffic collisions. But the Dutch set the example by investing in their water quality and restoring the habitat of the otter to enable its reintroduction. People now have a chance to spot the otter as it spreads through The Netherlands and even ventures into the heart of a city. Unique footage provides an insight into the life of the illusive Eurasian otter and the measures that are needed to protect this ambassador of the freshwater environment.
Director: Hilco JansmaA humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinSnow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. During the festive season, our thoughts turn to a distant winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realize. It is an ever-changing wilderness, filled with extraordinary wild creatures. During the long, dark winter, musk ox stand sentinel in the biting wind, golden eagles fight over prey and great grey owls roam huge distances through the frozen forest. When summer arrives, the sun never sets as reindeer migrate north, owls race to breed and bears and wolves fight over food. This beautiful, lyrical portrayal of Santa’s wild home makes for ideal festive viewing and will leaving you wondering whether a place so magical truly exists.
Director: Matt HamiltonMammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftA humble river in north-west Germany shows itself to be a natural paradise, where Banded Demoiselle dragonflies flutter on sapphire wings over the water-meadows, foxes bring up their young, and beavers build their lodges. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell and Georg Rüppell film these butterfly-like flying jewels in breathtaking slow-motion- and macro sequences, both above and below the water. They also reveal the fishing techniques of the kingfishers, and of the dippers, the only songbirds that swim and hunt underwater. This riverine life is fill of mini-dramas, from the mating flights of the male dragonflies to the consummation of their love-wheels and the precision of the females’ egg-laying; from the leaping, insect-grabbing attacks of the frogs to their own desperate attempts to escape the sudden assaults of swimming grass snakes.
Director: Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell, Georg RüppellAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar HedinAt the bottom of Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province of China, bees are going extinct due to extensive use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work hard in the field worrying about their children's future. They are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal an universal human conflict - the difficulty to choose between your dear ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the well-being of planet and mankind itself.
Director: Mikael Kristersson, Åsa Ekman, Oscar Hedin‘What a Colorful World’ takes the viewer on a journey around the globe to discover a host of colourful creatures that make our world such a spectacularly diverse place. Seen from space, Earth may appear mainly green and blue, but a closer look reveals the true abundance of hues and shades caused by light refraction. From giant humpback whales to tiny dancing spiders, from pink flamingos to blue-footed boobies, from strange-looking mandrills to frantic fiddler crabs – we explore what makes our globe such a kaleidoscope of color.
Director:Mammals, fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even plants, they all share the same goal in life – to reproduce successfully. All of the species of this planet have developed their own special strategy to raise their offspring. In addition to the astounding and fascinating strategies in nature, the viewer gains a fundamental insight: It doesn´t matter whether a species has only one or a few or even a thousand „kids“: At the end of the life of the parent-animals, on average only two specimens of the offspring remain. If there are fewer, the species dies out. If there are more, the result is overpopulation.
Director: Jan HaftA birdcall-imitation-seminar, an animal-telepathy-hotline, a beauty contest for pedigree dogs. Wherever the film goes: animals are sorted, studied, and processed; and yet they remain enigmatic and absent. What's inside the animals? The closer they are examined, the less certainty remains. And as the animals increasingly disappoint, a melancholic perplexity sets in. The idea was to find an answer within the animal, but instead people lost a sense of themselves. Encounters in faux fur costumes offer a last hope for warmth and dissolution. A film that acts like a shimmering mirror, in which we painfully recognise ourselves.
Director: Jonas SpriestersbachPlaces evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinThe Rocky Mountains are the second largest mountain range on Earth - 4,800 kilometers in length from the American Southwest to the Canadian Arctic. An ever-expanding population is placing increased pressure on wilderness, making the Rockies one of the last refuges for North America’s most iconic species, including Rocky mountain bighorn sheep, Greater sandhill cranes, grizzly bears and American bison. In this film we introduce the vast diversity of the Rockies through the eyes of our animal families. From early spring to late summer we follow our new mothers through the early days of raising a family. With every step our youngsters take there are lessons to learn, lessons that will determine their survival as adults.
Director: Joseph PontecorvoAn old, battle-scarred hippo bull was once a giant king amongst the largest concentration of hippos on this planet. Normally hidden under water or concealed in the cover of darkness, the hippo is an animal cloaked in mystery and largely misunderstood. For the first time ever, we get to know the true character of one of the planet’s largest land mammals, as we reveal the life story of a charismatic hippo bull in Africa’s Luangwa Valley, starting from the day he was born. His story spans thirty-five years - from being a small, vulnerable hippo calf trying to find his place in a world amongst giants, to how he survived the cruel blows nature handed out to him. From losing his mother, and being ousted from his natal pod, to facing the harshest of droughts, and being threatened by predators. But as he learnt to walk the ancient pathways of survival in the Luangwa Valley, he grew into a stronger, more confident bull and was headed for a path of war. Two decades later, he was finally ready for the ultimate battle - that made him King.
Director: Will & Lianne SteenkampIn the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.
Director: Cyrille CornuGlamourized by Hollywood and villainized by ancestral folklore, the wolverine is both a fabled icon of the Northern Hemisphere and a modern-day superhero. Our heroine, Freya, is a 3-year-old female wolverine – shy and elusive and rarely caught on camera, she inhabits a mysterious and unforgiving world – deep in the rugged wilderness of Scandinavia. Freya thrives in this remote and remorseless habitat. Wolverines have true grit and an iron-clad attitude; never be daunted, never back down. The tougher the going, the tougher she gets. As we journey through a tumultuous year in her life, Freya’s story unfolds in a visual feast. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of her compelling environment, her narrative is a chronological rollercoaster of events, often motivated food, always driven by the visual march of the seasons. Each seasonal transition brings with it a new set of challenges, opportunities and milestones which she must face head on. This battle isn’t just for her, but the survival of her species.
Director: Alexander SlettenWhile all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkA photographer approaches the Delta to take a series of portraits of the islanders. Hand in hand with one of them, little by little, he makes his way into the population and internalizes the fight they carried out a few years ago against a mega-housing enterprise that tried to destroy them, their houses, their jobs and their lifestyle. During his stay there, sharpening his gaze, he goes deeper into the conflict and internalizes it as he continues in his portraits, adding gazes that are not only social, but also environmental and political, human, in the sentimental in the day to day of that forgotten and punished population. In this follow-up, the documentary opens many doors that allow to know in detail the problems suffered and their current state, not only to know the open wounds, but also to transcend their resistance and their fight for permanence.
Director: Miguel Angel BarattaIJswee is a documentary film about an iceskateclub, a village and the warm winters. In the film we follow Oringers, the inhabitants of Odoorn, through the winter. The Oringer all experience in IJswee (longing for ice) in their own way. Christmas tree farmer Manus thinks that we will never be able to skate again and that the winters will disappear. Treasurer Henk tells about the days of 15 centimeters of ice. Raoul, son of a farmer, had to stop skating in Assen after the ice rink closed, now he keeps an eye on the weather app every day in winter. Yet they also feel hope, ex-farmer and ex-chairman Jans is confident that there will one day be another Elfstedentocht. His grandson Jeroen, who became a Drents skate champion as a child, is sure that he will stand on the ice as board member in the near future.
Director: Okki PoortvlietThere are still a lot of dolphinariums and dolphin parks around the world, though animal rights advocates have spent a long time to ban the circuses with animals. In dolphinariums marine mammals are separated from their families, causing them to develop some form of depression. Marine mammals in these centers are subjected to intense physical, nutritional, and psychological pressure to learn the shows they are about to perform. Life expectancy for dolphins in artificial habitats is very low, and they are at risk of extinction due to stress and skin diseases caused by the presence of chlorine in the water. This cycle and the great mafia will continue to exist as long as there is a demand for tickets for these carnivals by the people.
Director: Mehdi GhazanfariThe story of the film takes place in Turkana, Kenya. This unique place is also known as the Cradle of Humankind where the discoveries of prehistorical human origins are made. The area is nowadays inhabited by the indigenous pastoral tribe called Daasanach. Our main character Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Spanish ethnobiologist arrive to Turkana to study the relationship between humans and nature. He becomes friends with a tribe member Job Nasak, who guides him into the daily life of the village. Alvaro gets impressed by traditional fables and animal stories of the tribe and he is asked to collect them for the first ever Daasanach language story book. The stories paint a picture of vivid nature and a rich wildlife. But while exploring the national park Alvaro discovers dry and bare landscape with hardly any animals left. So starts a fascinating story from the Cradle of Humankind, a story of the nomadic people’s struggle to survive, of poaching, nature reserve rangers, tribal wars over scarce resources and prehistoric fossils. The two worlds of biologists and the tribe members collide revealing the values of wildlife and nature for both.
Director: Iiris HärmäThe Democratic Republic of Congo could feed almost 1 in 2 people on Earth. Yet one in six Congolese people suffer from hunger. Yet one in two Congolese suffers from moderate acute malnutrition. Yet agriculture accounts for 70% of the population there. Faced with this paradox, the peasants regroup in agricultural cooperatives. A handful of them share their daily lives with us, that of all those they represent. Even if they don't know each other, live thousands of hundreds of kilometers from each other, participate in different agricultural sectors, their voices resonate in this powerful, sensitive and sincere documentary.
Director: Antonio SpanòMuch of our population currently lives with hopeful delusions about climate change. These delusions, many of which are built in by evolution, hamper our ability to meaningfully address the problem. Emmy-nominated actor David Morse narrates the brutally honest 12th Hour, with insight from noted evolutionary biologists, climate scientists, cognitive researchers and psychologists. Our brains evolved to solve short-term challenges for our survival. Climate change is a long-term challenge to our survival. Can we bridge the gap between these modes of thinking?
Director: Susan KuceraThis documentary tells the story of how Soviet leaders performed bizarre irrigation experiments on Sasyk Estuary at the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine. This created a slow moving eco disaster which continues today. Sasyk has become ground zero for a battle between eco activists vs. poachers, bureaucrats and corrupt officials.
Director: Andrea OdezynskaThis documentary immerses us alongside French photographer Laurent Baheux, in the heart of the African bush, chasing three fascinating felines. The lion, king of the savannah, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so quick but so fragile. The leopard, a silent and ghostly predator. All around, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is ready to seize what it has to offer him, he expects nothing in particular, always humble in his relationship with animals. He captures the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes.
Director: Mathieu Le LayPantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonThey’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftSeeking no one’s help and asking nobody’s permission, Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are gathering any large wooly beast they can get their hands on, and transporting them, by whatever low budget means they can contrive, to the most remote corner of Siberia. They call their project Pleistocene Park. The goal: restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem and avoid a catastrophic feedback loop leading to runaway global warming. Sergey would know: fifteen years ago he published in the journal Science showing that frozen arctic soils contain twice as much carbon as the earth’s atmosphere. These soils are now starting to melt. Can two Russian scientists stave off a worst case scenario of global environmental catastrophe and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world?
Director: Luke Griswold-Tergis"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic Balthazar"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarIn the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.
Director: Cyrille CornuHannu Hautala is a pioneer in nature photography and a controversial role model who became an international success. Now he talks intimately about his career and death. In magical filming sessions at Hautala's home in Kuusamo, his own classic photos danced with his bare skin. The filmmakers fulfill Hautala's devout wish and take him once again to the forest to take his last eagle pictures. But is nature photography art? What is their significance in this time: are they always on the side of nature conservation? What would we know about nature without pictures - nature pictures can save the world!
Director: Juha MetsoBeyond the polar circle in Northern Russia, a few dozen people still live in their traditional houses surrounded by water, stone and sand. Nature provides for them, mainly the White sea. Cut off from vital infrastructure, almost forgotten by regional governance, these people have to cope with their everyday struggle and live in accordance with the raw forces of nature. Their hamlets seem to head toward the fate of so many other villages all over Russia: a slow but inevitable extinction.
Director: Evgeny KalachikhinThe Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de Bruin“Life of a mutt” tells true, intimate and authentic stories from the perspective of stray dogs. Combining documentary material with hand drawn animation and voice over, we are crossing between genres and forms of documentary, fiction and animation, giving our silent heroes a voice. The inspiration comes from ancient Indian, Russian, and British stories. Combining seven destinies/scenes in one life story- from birth to a birth again, we witness their dignifying fight for survival.
Director: Tanja BrzakovićPlaces evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelSilvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenTogether, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneIn the purple dawn, there is a water celery stall in the corner of a quiet road with no one comes and goes. Among them a woman with her gray hair tied high, yellow rubber boots on her feet and tied up with a large green apron. A black rubber tub is held between the hips of both sides and enters the water celery field just behind it. This is how the day of the stall keeper, who remained the last one stall in Eonyang-eupseong walled town, begins. The camera stops in front of her, who could pass by, and watches closely at the noble work scene.
Director: Yu So-youngWhen the students of Helgenæs Boarding School go hunting together, it is primarily about what gets shot and who shoots it. But for these youngsters, who seem to find themselves somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, the hunt is a focal point for a shared culture as well as an identity. It becomes their way of tackling the transition into adulthood.
Director: Andreas ThaulowBirds were always there, but always at a distance. Grounded on earth, small groups of humans search and examine. Each with their own unique and specialized techniques in the attempt of bringing the volatile creatures closer. In the structure of one day, we follow different sets of people interacting with birds. We pay attention to a scouting group of young enthusiasts and their nets, binoculars, telescopes, calm figures on the lookout. We also follow the meticulous procedures of taxidermy – the rinsing, sewing and general care of carcasses – as well as the strict, epistemological measuring of caught birds, noting travelled distance, size and weight with precise methods.
Director: David KrøyerHassan Sakanjah is a village man who has dedicated his life to protecting the environment of his region in Hormozgan province. He tells the story of his love for nature and the troubles of this path.
Director: Hadis JanbozorgiIn this documentary, landscape architect Louis De Jaeger outlines how food forests can save the earth from suffocation, resuscitate communities, make agriculture sustainable, reverse global warming and still produce an abundance of food. This film takes you on a trip through the secret gardens of food forest pioneers. From urban jungles to healing projects in psychiatric institutions. Because nature appears to be the best healer for the social, psychological and ecological scars that people have caused. If we give nature's resilience a chance, together we can create a new Eden. In fact, pieces of this new paradise are already visible.
Director: Louis De JaegerAcross Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudHorse-meat labelled as beef. Honey diluted with cheap sugar syrups. Counterfeit extra-virgin olive oil. Food crime is a multi-billion dollar industry affecting everything from the cheapest to most expensive ingredient. 10% of what we eat is thought to be adulterated. “What we know for sure is that food fraud is growing exponentially and it’s more and more worrying,” states one consumer advocate. In this investigation, we follow the food fraud brigades and reveal how little we know about what we’re eating. From the olive groves of Italy to the fish markets of France and the abattoirs of Poland, this film takes you on a culinary journey of a very different kind. A global investigation into the counterfeit food industry.
Director: Bénédicte DelfautTwo little owls have formed a new life amidst the noise of the forest and away from the eyes of rivals. As humans enter the forest, the lives of owls and other creatures change...
Director: Mehdi NourmohammadiThis documentary tells the story of how Soviet leaders performed bizarre irrigation experiments on Sasyk Estuary at the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine. This created a slow moving eco disaster which continues today. Sasyk has become ground zero for a battle between eco activists vs. poachers, bureaucrats and corrupt officials.
Director: Andrea Odezynska“Colonies in Conflict” is a feature documentary that examines the state of wild bees in a fast-developing Indian landscape. In a first ever, migratory honeybees Apis dorsata (Rockbees) – native to South Asia – have been filmed extensively over various landscapes. Alarmed by reports warning about an insect apocalypse, filmmaker Rajani Mani is concerned about the way in India honeybee hives are often sprayed with pesticides exterminating the entire colony. And thus begins her journey of exploration – learning about wild bees and what is killing them. The film asks the critical question, if in the future these wild bees disappear entirely what would it mean to the farmer, the forest, and to the future generations of humans? The filmmaker discovers that we have very little time to reverse the catastrophe we started, but every species stopped from extinction would help hedge our bets in an uncertain future.
Director: Rajani ManiSweden’s coastline is as long as the the globe is round. The Baltic and the North Sea once teemed with cod, haddock, herring, shellfish, flat fish, mackerel and eel. But today most of the seas have been fished out. The scarcity of predatory fish has destroyed marine ecosystems. The question asked in this film is how a rich and orderly country like Sweden can allow this to happen. But there’s hope. You’ll be surprised by the many odd inhabitants still down there. And did you know that 300-kilo bluefin tunas have made their comeback in Swedish seas?
Director: Björn TjärnbergSwedes love their lakes, and have hundreds of thousands to choose from for relaxation. But few people have visited below the surface. Here the voracious pike rules the ecosystem. The fastest predator of the north, it attacks at the speed of a cheetah. Lakes are merely places where water rests for while, during its endless cycle. Treating lakes as separate units has led to a disconnection. The threatened European eel, once ubiquitous in inland Sweden, can no longer reach its feeding grounds in the lakes. Nor can it escape the lakes and reach the Sargasso sea to spawn.
Director: Björn TjärnbergLet’s travel through Sweden under water! Our journey starts in cold mountain creeks meandering through the breathtaking arctic landscape. The creeks gradually form large rivers as they flow toward the sea. Here we find the arctic char, trout, grayling and – king of the river – the salmon. All graceful species of salmonoid fish dependent on free-flowing rapids and clear, oxygenated water. But something has happened. Our Swedish rivers are no longer moving forward… Hydropower plants are everywhere, producing fossil-free energy. But what happens to our ecosystems when the river’s energy is captured and transferred to power cables?
Director: Björn TjärnbergIn France, as in other countries around the world, a handful of ornithologists, amateurs and professionals alike, compete for whoever sees the most different species of birds. They are called twitchers. This film offers to follow the course of some of them, in particular on the island of Ouessant in Finistère (French Brittany), the annual climax of the competition, but also in their everyday life. While some are retired or have an occupation easily compatible with their singular passion, others must juggle a family life, a job, an urban environment.
Director: Baptiste MagontierRainforests on the island of Borneo are under extreme threat from deforestation, mainly from the palm oil industry. As palm oil farming endangers the habitats of the gibbon, Chanee Kalaweit fights for their survival. He has established a rescue center for injured animals, and started broadcasting success stories, calls for help and pop music in a spectacular mix via his own Borneo-based radio station, Radio Kalaweit. The Indonesian Island of Sulawesi is home to another endangered species, the Black Crested Macaque. Having endured centuries of deforestation and hunting, the last few thousand macaques now live in the protected area of Tangkoko National Park. Even so, they’re still being poached for their meat, a longstanding local delicacy. But a new generation of native conservationists, like Reyni Palohonen, have started raising awareness of the macaques’ plight among the local people, getting them to rethink their dietary traditions. Under the sea, Manta Rays were over-hunted for their gills to supply the black market in China. Dolphins have been captured as circus entertainment. Sarah Lewis of the Indonesian Manta Project and Femke den Haas, a Dutch activist, are both fighting for these animals’ return to the oceans.
Director: Max Serio, Radek HouskaBoris Jollivet, an acoustic ecologist, with whom we travel through remote areas so as to know whether there are still silent zones in France, zones where the noise of men is not heard any longer.
Director: Julien GuéraudErin is a compelling woman in her thirties who is completely driven by her life’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate and adopt out as many pigs as possible. The story of Erin's physical and mental recovery from a tragic event forms the emotional core of her transformation into the co-founder of one of the largest and most respected pig sanctuaries in the country.
Director: Christopher BeesonWade into a saltwater marsh along the Connecticut River to witness the heartwarming reunion of two ospreys who’ve been mates for a decade. Witness their highs and lows over a single summer, as they raise their chicks and dodge a host of predators.
Director: Jacob SteinbergYou are about to embark on an unusual journey, filled with - dare we say it - wild animal do-do, dung, poop. We call it scat. Wildlife biologist Dr Scott Burnett, aka Scat Man, will be your guide. You’ll get to see some pretty extraordinary scat shapes, textures and sizes without having to sniff it; meet the wild animals responsible for these wonderful gifts; and follow scientists as they dig deep to unravel the mysteries of nature. Find out why the thing you thought was most disgusting is as valuable as gold!
Director: Ruth BerryGoodbye to All Cats is about the movement to remove all domestic cats from a unique island ecosystem, New Zealand, to protect endangered endemic species, including many ground nesting birds and the short-tailed bat, which evolved without mammalian predators, and are crucial to the unique biodiversity of New Zealand. But New Zealanders are among the most passionate cat lovers in the world with one of the highest levels of cat ownership and a strong belief in a cat's right to roam freely for its own well-being. Goodbye to All Cats explores the issues and arguments surrounding this emotional battle.
Director: Susan Bloom, Caleigh WaldmanAustralian pelicans are strange birds. Not only because of their appearance, but above all because of their unusual way of life. Most of the time they live quite peacefully in the coastal regions, but when the inland desert is flooded every 5, 10 or even 20 years, tens of thousands fly there to breed. This film follows the Australian pelicans on their journey to their breeding grounds in the Outback and shows the challenges they face during the breeding season. It reveals a habitat that is generally considered an inhospitable desert yet plays a major role for the waterbirds.
Director: Annette ScheurichWildlife Tourism is a multi billion-dollar global industry. However, these profits don’t come without costs. In front of our eyes, and behind closed doors, lie stories of abuse and cruelty. This is the first in-depth investigation into orangutan tourism, a journey into the dark heart of Amusement Parks, zoos, and ‘protected’ rainforests. Orangutans might be star attractions here, but at what cost to the animal?
Director: Chris Scarffe, Will Foster-Grundy"Bright Green Lies" investigates the change in focus of the mainstream environmental movement, from its original concern with protecting nature, to its current obsession with powering an unsustainable way of life. The film exposes the lies behind the notion that solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or green consumerism will save the planet. Tackling the most pressing issues of our time will require us to look beyond the mainstream technological solutions and ask deeper questions about what needs to change.
Director: Julia BarnesTowards the expansion of the eucalyptus plantations, a farmer and an indigenous leader stand as resistance and reveal the impact of monoculture on the environment and traditional ways of life. The enemy can also be green.
Director: Ingrid Fadnes & Fabio NascimentoIn the United States, temperatures are breaking all records. Last summer in California, temperatures reached almost 60° in some areas. The rain no longer falls, water is scarce and fires ravage the entire west of the state every year. But despite this, many Americans continue living as if nothing is happening. According to one poll, 56% of Republican voters do not believe in global warming and talk of climate change deeply divides the country. And, as always, the poor pay the highest price.
Director: Ibar Aibar & Fanny ChauvinAt the start of the 21st century, a small group of people began to publicly advocate for nuclear energy. They believe that nuclear energy is the fastest way to combat climate change. This is the story of their movement and their controversial perspectives on nuclear power.
Director: Frankie FentonWhat does the world’s most watched mega-event and a remote indigenous community have in common? A forgotten indigenous tribe in Borneo is devastated by a merciless logging company. Determined to find the source of the forces ravaging their ancestral forest, three tribesmen take matters into their own hands and follow their stolen wood. This sets in motion a quest which will take them to Tokyo, and the heart of the Olympic phenomenon.
Director: Balint ReveszThe filming started in March 2020, at the onset of the coronavirus crisis, when the family with three children took refuge in the mountainous countryside. While surfing the internet, the children found a video from an Asian food market. The camera wanders through the marketplace showing dissected snakes, rats and other wild animals. They were shocked to see overcrowded cages full of cats and dogs destined for slaughter. Reflections on the relationship between humans and animals lead them to the decision to adopt chickens and keep them as their local neighbours do. These chickens are pitiful; they look different from the hens in the neighbours' garden, and the children want to find out why. They want to know why people treat animals so ruthlessly. Day after day, the children learn to take care of their chickens. They get advice from experienced breeders. As they reflect on the differences between domestic and industrial livestock, the amateur chicken breeders discover that there are politicians proposing a ban on caged hen breeding in the Czech Republic.
Director: Filip RemundaBirds colonise an urban neighbourhood. People rediscover vital animal instincts. Together they show how confinement might be the ultimate measure of freedom.
Director: Mark AitkenHoubara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariA voice from a distant future tells of a vanished city that was once among the most famous in the world, Venice. Amidst legends, rituals and hearsay, the narrator describes its daily life made of boats and its profound relationship with the lagoon surrounding it. Did that city ever exist? Was it ever inhabited, or it was a tourist park? Did it survive the floods and the plagues? Have its inhabitants managed to find a new way of living together? The result is an indefinite tale of a unique and fragile city that is slowly disappearing, suffocated by tourism and threatened by climate change that is putting its survival at risk.
Director: Giovanni PellegriniBirds colonise an urban neighbourhood. People rediscover vital animal instincts. Together they show how confinement might be the ultimate measure of freedom.
Director: Mark AitkenPlaces evolve endlessly. They are alternatively lairs, shelters, factories or homes. In this man-made environment, abandoned and left on its own, from now on one can hear birds whistling.
Director: Olivier MarinThey’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftWhile all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausThe Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinTogether, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelHoubara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariGoodbye to All Cats is about the movement to remove all domestic cats from a unique island ecosystem, New Zealand, to protect endangered endemic species, including many ground nesting birds and the short-tailed bat, which evolved without mammalian predators, and are crucial to the unique biodiversity of New Zealand. But New Zealanders are among the most passionate cat lovers in the world with one of the highest levels of cat ownership and a strong belief in a cat's right to roam freely for its own well-being. Goodbye to All Cats explores the issues and arguments surrounding this emotional battle.
Director: Susan Bloom, Caleigh WaldmanDutch musician Ruben Hein’s love for nature and wildlife has always been central to his creativity. When he decided to visit Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic, some of the wildest regions on the planet, he had no way to know how deeply the experience would impact him. Join Hein as he searches for inspiration for his next album as he ventures among some of the far south’s most surreal landscapes and iconic creatures.
Director: Hubert NeufeldThe film will travel from the dense forests of the north, furrowed by violent torrents, to the vast steppe plains of the south where the bustard performs its amazing nuptial dance. It will take us to know an incredible mosaic of habitats and different ecosystems that enrich the wildest nature of Extremadura, the region of Western Europe with the highest percentage of areas of ornithological interest and with a third of its territory protected environmentally. And that has the largest extension in the world of an extraordinary ecosystem: the dehesa. It is because of the diversity of species that it hosts and because since time immemorial it is a unique environment where the natural and the cultural coexist, complementing each other, in harmony. It will be a trip with unique companions, some unique on the planet, such as the Iberian imperial eagle or the Iberian lynx; others so rare that they are in serious danger of extinction such as the black vulture or the black stork. We will enter spaces full of magic, works of art of Nature, like Monfragüe, an unparalleled natural environment because it hosts the largest and best-preserved patch of Mediterranean forest in the world, the world's largest concentration of birds associated with this type of forest and has been recognized by UNESCO as a Reserve of the Biosphere. Sierras, meadows, lagoons, forests, rivers, steppes... Extremadura is living land. Extremadura is the natural paradise of Europe.
Director: Carlos Pérez Romero"Ode to Nature" is a visually stunning journey through the nature of Germany, from the mountains and alpine pastures in the south to the coasts and the depths of the North and Baltic Seas. In between is a cinematic foray through steaming forests and shimmering moors, over rose-blossoming heaths and through the colorful cultural landscape surrounding villages and towns. The film shows these habitats from their most beautiful side, introduces well-known as well as unknown species and describes their dependence on the respective habitat. The film also reveals conservation problems and critically describes the current state of the environment on our doorstep. "Ode to Nature" leaves the viewer with enchanting and surprising views of our own environment and with the realization that it is not too late to preserve and restore our natural world.
Director: Jan HaftMarghazar Zoo in Islamabad is where Kaavan, dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant, has lived for over three decades. Many of these years have been spent chained and alone since his partner died in 2012. For highly social creatures such as elephant, the death of a partner can induce chronic grief and loneliness. This has left the great, proud creature with permanent scars from his chains, obesity and psychosis brought on by isolation and boredom. Kaavan’s ordeal is picked up on social media with videos and pictures of his lonely incarceration spreading. It comes to the attention of Rock superstar Cher, who herself has been trying to free an elephant in Los Angeles Zoo. Without hesitation, she pulls celebrity strings and connects people and charities to end Kaavan’s plight and set him free.
Director: Jonathan FinniganThe story of the film takes place in Turkana, Kenya. This unique place is also known as the Cradle of Humankind where the discoveries of prehistorical human origins are made. The area is nowadays inhabited by the indigenous pastoral tribe called Daasanach. Our main character Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Spanish ethnobiologist arrive to Turkana to study the relationship between humans and nature. He becomes friends with a tribe member Job Nasak, who guides him into the daily life of the village. Alvaro gets impressed by traditional fables and animal stories of the tribe and he is asked to collect them for the first ever Daasanach language story book. The stories paint a picture of vivid nature and a rich wildlife. But while exploring the national park Alvaro discovers dry and bare landscape with hardly any animals left. So starts a fascinating story from the Cradle of Humankind, a story of the nomadic people’s struggle to survive, of poaching, nature reserve rangers, tribal wars over scarce resources and prehistoric fossils. The two worlds of biologists and the tribe members collide revealing the values of wildlife and nature for both.
Director: Iiris HärmäThe Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonSilvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter Magnusson"Ode to Nature" is a visually stunning journey through the nature of Germany, from the mountains and alpine pastures in the south to the coasts and the depths of the North and Baltic Seas. In between is a cinematic foray through steaming forests and shimmering moors, over rose-blossoming heaths and through the colorful cultural landscape surrounding villages and towns. The film shows these habitats from their most beautiful side, introduces well-known as well as unknown species and describes their dependence on the respective habitat. The film also reveals conservation problems and critically describes the current state of the environment on our doorstep. "Ode to Nature" leaves the viewer with enchanting and surprising views of our own environment and with the realization that it is not too late to preserve and restore our natural world.
Director: Jan Haft"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic Balthazar"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarWhile all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausThe Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonTogether, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelPantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildWhile all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma BausSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkThey’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan Haft"Bright Green Lies" investigates the change in focus of the mainstream environmental movement, from its original concern with protecting nature, to its current obsession with powering an unsustainable way of life. The film exposes the lies behind the notion that solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or green consumerism will save the planet. Tackling the most pressing issues of our time will require us to look beyond the mainstream technological solutions and ask deeper questions about what needs to change.
Director: Julia BarnesAcross Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudAcross Africa, lobbyists, philanthropists and businessmen are working to open up the continent to GMO food. They argue that GMOs can provide a miracle solution to two of Africa’s biggest problems: famine and malaria. The main promoters is Bill Gates, now the head of the most powerful philanthropic foundation in history. This film reveals how the Gates Foundation became the main funder of genetic experiments underway on the continent and investigates the possible repercussions of their actions.
Director: Jean-Baptiste RenaudSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonSilvi is one of the last Estonians to keep two cows in her home farm for her own use. Unfortunately Silvi sees no future in keeping the cows, so the time has come to send her two beloved animals away.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenGlamourized by Hollywood and villainized by ancestral folklore, the wolverine is both a fabled icon of the Northern Hemisphere and a modern-day superhero. Our heroine, Freya, is a 3-year-old female wolverine – shy and elusive and rarely caught on camera, she inhabits a mysterious and unforgiving world – deep in the rugged wilderness of Scandinavia. Freya thrives in this remote and remorseless habitat. Wolverines have true grit and an iron-clad attitude; never be daunted, never back down. The tougher the going, the tougher she gets. As we journey through a tumultuous year in her life, Freya’s story unfolds in a visual feast. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of her compelling environment, her narrative is a chronological rollercoaster of events, often motivated food, always driven by the visual march of the seasons. Each seasonal transition brings with it a new set of challenges, opportunities and milestones which she must face head on. This battle isn’t just for her, but the survival of her species.
Director: Alexander SlettenAn old, battle-scarred hippo bull was once a giant king amongst the largest concentration of hippos on this planet. Normally hidden under water or concealed in the cover of darkness, the hippo is an animal cloaked in mystery and largely misunderstood. For the first time ever, we get to know the true character of one of the planet’s largest land mammals, as we reveal the life story of a charismatic hippo bull in Africa’s Luangwa Valley, starting from the day he was born. His story spans thirty-five years - from being a small, vulnerable hippo calf trying to find his place in a world amongst giants, to how he survived the cruel blows nature handed out to him. From losing his mother, and being ousted from his natal pod, to facing the harshest of droughts, and being threatened by predators. But as he learnt to walk the ancient pathways of survival in the Luangwa Valley, he grew into a stronger, more confident bull and was headed for a path of war. Two decades later, he was finally ready for the ultimate battle - that made him King.
Director: Will & Lianne SteenkampThe Rocky Mountains are the second largest mountain range on Earth - 4,800 kilometers in length from the American Southwest to the Canadian Arctic. An ever-expanding population is placing increased pressure on wilderness, making the Rockies one of the last refuges for North America’s most iconic species, including Rocky mountain bighorn sheep, Greater sandhill cranes, grizzly bears and American bison. In this film we introduce the vast diversity of the Rockies through the eyes of our animal families. From early spring to late summer we follow our new mothers through the early days of raising a family. With every step our youngsters take there are lessons to learn, lessons that will determine their survival as adults.
Director: Joseph PontecorvoTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkThey’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftWhile all over the world many species are under threat, raccoons are experiencing unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent and cute look, hides an outstanding survivor's temperament, capable of anything to feed and defend themselves. Omnivorous, curious, intelligent, and super-adaptable, raccoons turn out to be really good at overcoming every challenge they are confronted with. But how did these crafty critters manage to survivre in both the wild and urban environment? What make them so smart? And how did they flourish so quickly throughout the world? Over the course of a summer, this film follows a litter of young raccoons from birth to adulthood, on the wild island of Georgia, USA. Close-ups, subjective camera and underwater footage take us as close as possible to these pint-size creatures to reveal how they have become such amazingly adaptable animals.
Director: Emma Baus"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic Balthazar"Duty of Care - The Climate Trials" is the inside story of Roger Cox, the lawyer who initiated ground-breaking legal actions against the Dutch government and oil giant Shell. The result: two landmark rulings that sent shockwaves through political offices and corporate boardrooms around the world, and led to a wave of international climate cases. This is a character-driven journey through the highs and lows of his trials, featuring a cast of creative lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens pursuing what they see as the legal showdown of the century. Their story is set against interviews with world-leading experts on the principles of justice that can be applied to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Director: Nic BalthazarThey’re some of our most effective pollinators. Living in bright wooden huts, producing honey and wax. Busy, beneficial and closely tied to human needs. But how do bees live in the wild? And why did they disappear from our forests? This film portrays the wild life of the honey bee in our forests and it shows the important role of this creature in nature.
Director: Jan HaftHoubara or Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueni) is one of the favorite birds among hunters and falconers in the Persian Gulf countries. Unfortunately in the last decades, bustard’s hunting and catching alive have caused a drastic reduction in its population and as a result, it is now considered one of the most vulnerable and endangered species in Iran and all over the world.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelTogether, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StonePantanal is Brazilian and means just swamp. Simple the name but the largest swamp area on earth in the heart of South America! This million years old landscape is criss-crossed by rivers, lakes and flooded plains. A Noah's Ark for jaguars, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, anteaters and many other well-known and mysterious animals and plants. They were brought to the brink of extinction by the 1970s. But extensive protective measures brought them back. So today large families of giant otters can be seen chasing through the rivers. Caimans were once killed for their skin by the millions. Today they can be seen everywhere. The world's largest parrots had almost disappeared. Today, 90 percent of all hyacinth macaws in the world live in the Pantanal. With them over 400 other bird species. Ever since jaguar hunting was banned, the kings of the wild have been hunting everywhere again.
Director: Christoph and Almut HauschildVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelThe Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Director: Arthur de BruinSweden has transformed more than 90% of its primeval forests and wilderness into tree plantations, and now the felling of the last stands of unprotected old-growth forests continues. How can we use the forest without consuming it?
Director: Peter MagnussonHorse-meat labelled as beef. Honey diluted with cheap sugar syrups. Counterfeit extra-virgin olive oil. Food crime is a multi-billion dollar industry affecting everything from the cheapest to most expensive ingredient. 10% of what we eat is thought to be adulterated. “What we know for sure is that food fraud is growing exponentially and it’s more and more worrying,” states one consumer advocate. In this investigation, we follow the food fraud brigades and reveal how little we know about what we’re eating. From the olive groves of Italy to the fish markets of France and the abattoirs of Poland, this film takes you on a culinary journey of a very different kind. A global investigation into the counterfeit food industry.
Director: Bénédicte DelfautVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkThis documentary immerses us alongside French photographer Laurent Baheux, in the heart of the African bush, chasing three fascinating felines. The lion, king of the savannah, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so quick but so fragile. The leopard, a silent and ghostly predator. All around, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is ready to seize what it has to offer him, he expects nothing in particular, always humble in his relationship with animals. He captures the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes.
Director: Mathieu Le LaySeeking no one’s help and asking nobody’s permission, Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are gathering any large wooly beast they can get their hands on, and transporting them, by whatever low budget means they can contrive, to the most remote corner of Siberia. They call their project Pleistocene Park. The goal: restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem and avoid a catastrophic feedback loop leading to runaway global warming. Sergey would know: fifteen years ago he published in the journal Science showing that frozen arctic soils contain twice as much carbon as the earth’s atmosphere. These soils are now starting to melt. Can two Russian scientists stave off a worst case scenario of global environmental catastrophe and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world?
Director: Luke Griswold-TergisVello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
Director: Remek MeelTogether, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
Director: Mark Deeble, Victoria StoneTits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
Director: Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen HundertmarkTrack three wild matriarchs on the hunt for life-giving water during one of Kenya’s worst droughts. Trek alongside the Royals elephant clan, see wild dog Phoenix fend off wily hyenas, and watch cheetah Kuleta keep her cubs out of predators’ reach.
Director: Nigel PopeIn Argentina's breathtaking, yet imposing wilderness, every day is a fight for survival. The terrain is rugged and parched. The air is thin. The weather can change in an instant. And then there are the predators. A female puma stalks a valley in search of guanaco, while a tarantula defends itself against a hungry armadillo. Foxes will scavenge what they can…until one of the world’s largest vultures shows up. All the while, in the background, glaciers greedily hold on to the freshwater these animals so desperately need.
Director: Christian BaumeisterLong ago, Geamăna was a Romanian village in the Apuseni Mountains, home to about 1000 people. Today, only the church spire rises from the poisonous mud of a neighbouring copper mine. Almost all the houses have sunk and their inhabitants fled. Only a few people held on to their home. On the edge of the past, Valeria Praţa strives for her present - and is threatened by the future.
Director: Matthäus WörleIn love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiWoodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumWhen light pollution causes the night to disappear, a fundamental clock for life on earth is thrown out of balance. Animals and plants are threatened by artificial light. Many organisms have found their evolutionary niche in the dark of night and must now adapt to brighter nights. Some succeed, but for many the brightness becomes a death trap - and causes species to diminish. What solutions is science finding to this problem?
Director: Tim Visser, Sander van IerselThe air is thick and humid in the tropical forests of Mexico's Pacific coastal lowland. Woven into the landscape, a resilient Red Mangrove tree conquers the elements in a world repeatedly drowned by the tides. At 40 meters, this defiant survivor is among the tallest of its kind. Its tangled root system is a magical realm that provides shelter and food to an array of species, from fish, crabs and crocodiles, to some of Mexico's most exotic birds and mammals. In essence, the gnarled and robust Red Mangrove tree is a wild ecosystem inhabited by an assortment of creatures - a metropolis for wildlife.
Director: Barend van der WattA journey through a year in the life of three family farms cultivating cannabis, food and community in the pursuit of a regenerative future.
Director: Claire Weissbluth & Jesse DoddMasht Hussein is a rancher, a reasonable human being who has a standard and intimate relationship with his family and friends, he has a great deal of respect for nature that he lived his life in and he loves animals. For more than thirty years, kindly and without any help, every day he has been walking several kilometres through impassable highlands to water the thirsty animals and birds in the area where drought and aridity have made living difficult for animals. At the beginning of the path Masht Hussein carries the water with a pack animal to the steep slope of the mountain; since after that the animal is unable to proceed, he carries the bucket of water and covers the rest of the difficult road, embedding water in nature and managing water according to what he has experienced in nature. So in high and dry mountains, almost a habitat of three thousand hectares has been covered by his activity. The area that he covers is much richer in terms of animal species and the number of animals compared to the surrounding habitats that have been severely damaged by drought and aridity. You can feel life in the area under his care. At the end of the difficult path and doing an arduous task, Masht Hussein is tired yet happy, when he sees birds and animals drinking water, he watches them drink water and enjoys it.
Director: Farshi AzariDeep in the Southern Ocean, the Snares Islands is one of the most pristine island wildernesses left on the planet - a sanctuary for penguins and millions of other breeding seabirds.
Director: Judith CurranFilmteam have been granted exclusive access to the environmental crime unit of Interpol. This film is the inside story on the hunt for Cyril Astruc, the “Prince of Carbon”. Cyril Astruc has been a fugitive from justice for nearly ten years, on the run from both the French authorities and Interpol. He has an international arrest warrant for fraud and money laundering. The so-called “Prince of Carbon” masterminded a huge carbon quota fraud, which misappropriated five billion Euros from European state coffers. This money had been earmarked to fight climate change and CO2 emissions, and the fraud meant that the carbon exchange system no longer had any effect in ecological terms.
Director: Martin BoudotFilmed over the course of 3 months during the 2021 Covid Lockdown in Sydney Australia, 'The Powerful Owl' is a 1-hour documentary about filmmaker David Luff documenting the lives of a family of Powerful Owls and their two Owlets. As he discovers and films their habits, learned behavior and accomplishments, parallels are found within his own personal life.
Director: David LuffWhen light pollution causes the night to disappear, a fundamental clock for life on earth is thrown out of balance. Animals and plants are threatened by artificial light. Many organisms have found their evolutionary niche in the dark of night and must now adapt to brighter nights. Some succeed, but for many the brightness becomes a death trap - and causes species to diminish. What solutions is science finding to this problem?
Director: Tim Visser, Sander van IerselEvery year tens of thousands of endemic Tibetan antelope or "chiru" undertake a big migration from their breeding grounds in the valleys of China's Qinghai province to their calving grounds on the high and remote Quighai-Tibet plateau. It's one of China's greatest wildlife events, full of drama, spectacle and surprise, and all set in a breathtaking landscape.
Director: Pascal CardeilhacThree women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertAndongho islands the little terns used to make home sank due to heavy rain. People got together to create an artificial sand island where they could settle down and breed.
Director: Dong-Man SHIN, Sang-Seop YEOMWOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenIn Mongolia, its primary forests and pure waters have kept an entire population nomadic on its lands for thousands of years. But for more than 30 years, the rich natural resources of these Mongolian lands have fallen prey to illegal hunters and miners, often from the local population. In just a few years, the country has witnessed an alarming collapse of its biodiversity. Faced with this worrying situation, the Mongolian Ministry of Environment created the "Red Taiga" Park in 2012, at the head of which it appointed ranger Jal Tumursukh. The mission of this former local hunter is now to enforce the law of environmental protection, whose objective is to put an end to illegal mining, but also to traditional practices of hunting and nomadism. A very delicate mission for a just cause to which the chief ranger is trying to rally more and more forest guards from the disgruntled local communities.
Director: Hamid SardarTwo childhood friends embark a 10,000 mile road trip through the U.S. national parks, revealing a tapestry of stories from the people they meet along the way.
Director: Brendan HallNature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterDanusia and her daughter Basia live far away from the modern world, in tune with the rhythm and laws of nature, among animals and the spirits of the dead. The peace and sense of security offered by their enclave come at a price – the women increasingly long for contact with other people. Bucolic is an affectionate observation of people who live in a different way. It evokes a curiosity about their world and a desire to take a closer look.
Director: Karol PałkaThe main characters in the documentary film "Elusive Landscapes" include Pille, Felix, Father Agaton, Hellat and Kateriina, who all live in Western Estonia. Pille, whose last surviving close relative is her daughter living in Finland, attempts to farm sheep alone while defying old age. Felix is worried about bees. Beehives remain empty, bee colonies are dying out, queens are not laying enough eggs for the new generations to hatch. Fields are being poisoned and primaeval forests are being clear-cut. Father Agaton serves small local Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church congregations, performs blessings, and administers Communion. The Estonian Defence League member Hellat and his daughter Kateriina look for silver, which is supposedly buried in the ground. Legend has it that Vikings reached the local seaside villages through a place called Neidsaare, through the reed turfs of the shallow bay.
Director: Sulev KeedusIn this nature road movie filmmaker Jan Haft and his team go in search of one of Europe's rarest butterflies. They visit one location in Germany and one location in Austria, where the rare butterfly has recently disappeared from. They end up finding the butterfly in Romania. It soon becomes clear what is threatening the butterfly everywhere: The lack of extensive pastoral landscapes, due to the industrialization of agriculture. Only in Romania, in the highlands of Transylvania, extensive large pastures still exist, where cattle, water buffalo and horses graze in small numbers, maintaining a semi-open grassland interspersed with bushes and trees. A colorful, flowering biotope that is home to the Danube clouded yellow butterfly and countless other endangered organisms. But social upheavals are also taking place in Romania, which will almost inevitably lead to the disappearance of extensive pastures just like in the rest of Europe. These pasture landscapes are more reminiscent of the grasslands of African national parks than of agriculture in Europe. A habitat with an unimagined wealth of species, for which the Danube clouded yellow is but a symbol. Cattle and horses – much more than sheep – not only ensure the preservation of the rare butterfly. They protect biodiversity, the climate and the landscape.
Director: Jan HaftWith the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarThe Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaLuc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsLuc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsThrough new epigenetic research, the film follows the growth of the Thale Cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) in their natural habitat, to the archives and to cell evolution. Thale Cresses shows us that life is shared by remembering. An poetic essay on an aspect of memory.
Director: Juhani HaukkaA natural history documentary that tells the story of the fascinating life cycle of the unique mountain nature of the Jeseníky Mountains. From raging rivers and streams, through extensive forests, torn rocks, swaying bogs to inhospitable alpine forests. Everywhere we meet unique plants and animals, adapted to the harsh environment of the mountains.
Director: Marián PolákEastern Poland is one of Europe’s last truly wild regions. Animals that have long since disappeared can be found here. Just how much space we allow the animals and what the future may hold for them is almost entirely up to us.
Director: Jens Westphalen & Thoralf GrospitzThis documentary presents one of the most species-rich regions in Europe - the foothills of the Alps. Animals of all elements meet along two worlds. World-roaming deer, rain-dancing owls, orderly fanatic woodpeckers, and a battle of wits between jays and squirrels. They lead us through the fairytale landscapes, from the wild moors of the plain to the gentle mountain slopes of the Alps.
Director: Patrick CenturioniFor centuries, vultures have suffered from a terrible reputation and have been persecuted and exterminated. Today these majestic birds have made a remarkable comeback in Europe’s mountains and they are now considered an important part of the eco system. For an entire year, we filmed in the magnificent Grands Causses Park in Provence in southern France. This natural sanctuary of 3200 square kilometers is home to four of Europe’s largest species of birds: the Bearded, the Egyptian, the Black and the Griffon Vulture. We follow the intimacy of four families of vultures during an entire breeding season, as young vultures find their mate, start a family, protect their offspring from their enemies, withstand the elements and prepare their chicks for the ultimate trial: the first flight. An incredible coming of age story shot over four seasons and that will change the viewers’ perception of the vulture.
Director: Emmanuel Rondeau30,000 years ago Stone Age hunters painted mythical creatures on cave walls. An amazing story begins with these enigmatic images. It reaches into today’s Europe and tells of an amazing undertaking: to make amends for an old injustice. The film is about the adventurous attempt to bring back the aurochs, which existed in Europe for thousands of years and were exterminated 400 years ago.
Director: Michael SchlambergerAmerican Ocelot chronicles the sad history, precarious present, and optimistic future for the United States’ most endangered wild cat. Wildlife filmmaker Ben Masters ventures out to document these rare and elusive animals while meeting with experts along the way to get a better understanding of the species’ history, challenges, and conservation status. With fewer than 80 known ocelots remaining in the US, the stakes are high for their survival, which is threatened by inbreeding depression, habitat fragmentation, and the inability of various interest groups to find common ground. But there is hope for a bright future! American Ocelot is a documentary of international importance that showcases the dire need to save this species, and presents potential solutions and reasons for hope for their future.
Director: Ben Masters"What is Wilderness?" asks what wilderness actually is. We learn that the greatest biodiversity is where large grazing animals are part of the habitat. But the species-rich large animal fauna that once existed has disappeared from Europe with the appearance of modern Homo sapiens Domestic animals, when grazing in the right numbers and as a proxy for the extinct large herbivores, perform the identical "ecosystem engineering" services. This is an opportunity for our future and not only because wild pastures have been shown to store more carbon than forests. But where many natural processes take place, we can achieve a state there that resembles a wilderness. A NEW WILDERNESS perhaps; - but a wilderness that is good and important for biodiversity, animal welfare, climate, our land and for the future of mankind.
Director: Jan HaftThe main characters in the documentary film "Elusive Landscapes" include Pille, Felix, Father Agaton, Hellat and Kateriina, who all live in Western Estonia. Pille, whose last surviving close relative is her daughter living in Finland, attempts to farm sheep alone while defying old age. Felix is worried about bees. Beehives remain empty, bee colonies are dying out, queens are not laying enough eggs for the new generations to hatch. Fields are being poisoned and primaeval forests are being clear-cut. Father Agaton serves small local Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church congregations, performs blessings, and administers Communion. The Estonian Defence League member Hellat and his daughter Kateriina look for silver, which is supposedly buried in the ground. Legend has it that Vikings reached the local seaside villages through a place called Neidsaare, through the reed turfs of the shallow bay.
Director: Sulev KeedusThis is a place, a modest garden by the countryside. What is weaving here? The changing weather, the passage of time, the growth of plants, the constantly repeated gestures... A voice punctuates the film, invites us to dive into the depths of Time, in order to make ourselves fully present to the world.
Director: Natacha BoutkevitchPigeons in cities are considered a plague by many, often just because of their sheer numbers - their plight is thus often overlooked. Lis, Sven, and Eleonora want to help change the animal's perception. The three are volunteer members of the Pigeon Rescue Network in Hanover, Germany. Their work includes rescuing injured pigeons in the city, providing medical treatments, and fostering. Because of the general aversion towards pigeons, the rescuers are often met with prejudices, incomprehension, and hostility. In addition, the reproduction speed of city pigeons and the number of animals in need demand increasingly more resources, time, and dedication - the rescuer’s effort seems futile, but there are few other options than to continue.
Director: Lâm, Nguyễn TiếnTo save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiIn the Jordan Rift Valley, migratory birds are the collateral victims of 50 years of war. Men and women are protecting the birds and the world’s most important migratory route.
Director: Cédric ChambinThe Sultanate of Oman is Arabia’s most remarkable treasure. It is a land of surprising beauty filled with unexpected natural wonders, home to some of the rarest animals on Earth – the Arabian Leopard, Arabian Oryx, Green and Hawksbill Turtles – and many more creatures including Arabian Fox, Striped Hyena, Whale Sharks and other sea creatures. Oman’s landscape is as diverse as the variety of unique creatures that it supports.
Director: Stefania MüllerAs recently as 50 years ago, white-tailed eagles were on the verge of extinction. Specializing in nature topics, cinematographer Jouni Hiltunen leads the viewer on a unique journey to follow the lives of white-tailed eagles and their conservation in today’s Finland. The film allows us to follow the lives of white-tailed eagles at close range in nests, on the springtime prowl and in winter. The film expands into a story about how white-tailed eagles today behave and fare in Finland.
Director: Jouni HiltunenThe shock of very first raindrops on a baby rhino's skin; horns, that may either be tender or inflict serious pain. Droughts, predators, mating acrobatics - a rhino's life is as full of surprises as it is rich with deep social bonds from the start. So is the close relationship between Malaika and her son Elias. For years, the two of them are inseparable. But Malaika is pregnant. When she finally goes into labor, nothing is the same anymore.
Director: Rosie Koch and Roland GockelWe are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertIn the plains of south Dakota, a community of rodents try to survive in harsh conditions. And conflicts inside the colony make life hard. But when predators threat the colony, prairie dogs have to get along well to survive. Thanks to a remarkable language ability, they can prevent attacks from coyote and badgers.
Director: Philippe MoreauIn the dark recesses of the Peruvian rain-forest stands an unwavering Brazil nut tree - a titan among trees. For it to reproduce, this awe-inspiring pillar of strength relies on a series of intricate relationships with animals and insects found only in the wild. Only one critter has teeth strong enough to crack open the tree's tough fruit - the Agouti. For its survival, the Brazil nut relies on this tenacous rodent to disperse its seeds throughout the Amazon. While carpenter bees are the only insects strong enough to open and pollenate the tree's flowers. And these are just two of the Brazil nut's many allies. Without this incredible tree, many species will go extinct.
Director: Barend Van der WattLuc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsIn Mongolia, its primary forests and pure waters have kept an entire population nomadic on its lands for thousands of years. But for more than 30 years, the rich natural resources of these Mongolian lands have fallen prey to illegal hunters and miners, often from the local population. In just a few years, the country has witnessed an alarming collapse of its biodiversity. Faced with this worrying situation, the Mongolian Ministry of Environment created the "Red Taiga" Park in 2012, at the head of which it appointed ranger Jal Tumursukh. The mission of this former local hunter is now to enforce the law of environmental protection, whose objective is to put an end to illegal mining, but also to traditional practices of hunting and nomadism. A very delicate mission for a just cause to which the chief ranger is trying to rally more and more forest guards from the disgruntled local communities.
Director: Hamid SardarIn love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayWOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiThe Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaThe film portrays the Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo (winner of alternative Nobel, Right Livelihood Award) and the local farmers who are revolutionizing our idea of agriculture and forestry in Africa, thus calling conventional reforestation into question. Volker Schlöndorff´s hopeful documentary debut.
Director: Volker SchlöndorffFrom Iberian Lynxes to wildcats, Europe is home to a variety of felines. New initiatives to protect wildcats have brought some species back from the brink of extinction.
Director: Bertrand LoyerWhen a film team travel to Greenland to film walrus underwater, it feels like an exciting but perfectly normal assignment. But a pack of hungry polar bears have different ideas. With the ice melted, and the walrus no-where to be seen, filmmakers Simon Stanford and Göran Ehlmé find themselves at the mercy of these arctic predators - fighting for survival in a habitat on the brink of collapse.
Director: Simon StanfordEqual parts visual poetry and scientific observation, "Sleepless Birds" tracks the rise of artificially-lit industrial greenhouses in the French region of Bretagne. The film presents the environmental impact of grow lights on biodiversity, as well as on our rhythm and perception of time. In examining the case of agricultural light pollution, the film also raises questions about the unintended consequences of human attempts to overpower nature and control the elements.
Director: Tom Claudon, Dana MelaverWater shapes northern Argentina, creating paradises for unique wildlife. Whether it's sooty swifts swooping through waterfall floodwaters, frogs glowing in the dark, cute coati families in the undergrowth, or mighty anacondas on the prowl. Argentina's wetlands hold many wonders. In magnificent images, the film celebrates Argentina's water-rich north as a hotspot of biodiversity and shows how drought and fires threaten the fragile ecosystem.
Director: Christian BaumeisterTo save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaWith the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarNature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterTo save and support the unique ancient Finno-Ugric tradition! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Young restorer Darja and her teacher Aivar Ruukel are trying to build “lootsik” – the dugout boat, which is also an ancient symbol of the Soomaa National Park. Aivar Ruukel learned his trade from the last masters and wants to preserve this skill for the local community and future generations. Hard work awaits the master and his assistant. The boat must be made for the “fifth season” in Soomaa, which is a unique natural phenomenon.
Director: Jevgeni ZavadskiLong ago, Geamăna was a Romanian village in the Apuseni Mountains, home to about 1000 people. Today, only the church spire rises from the poisonous mud of a neighbouring copper mine. Almost all the houses have sunk and their inhabitants fled. Only a few people held on to their home. On the edge of the past, Valeria Praţa strives for her present - and is threatened by the future.
Director: Matthäus WörleThree women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertWe are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertWoodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaThree women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertEqual parts visual poetry and scientific observation, "Sleepless Birds" tracks the rise of artificially-lit industrial greenhouses in the French region of Bretagne. The film presents the environmental impact of grow lights on biodiversity, as well as on our rhythm and perception of time. In examining the case of agricultural light pollution, the film also raises questions about the unintended consequences of human attempts to overpower nature and control the elements.
Director: Tom Claudon, Dana MelaverIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaThe Czech Republic exudes an distinctive, enchanting and almost mystical romance. Nature in this mysterious land is bizarre, whimsical and unspoild. There are mountains, virgin beech forests, wild valleys and labyrinths of sandstone cliffs with caves and gorges. In the midst of this idyllic landscape, bears take care of their offspring, black storks hatch their eggs and live in balance with nature with dormouse, ural owls, foxes, wolves and many more. In between there are ancient castles and picturesque buildings that tell of an eventful past. No wonder the Czech Republic became the “land of fairy tales”.
Director: Michael SchlambergerIn love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayNature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiNature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterThe shock of very first raindrops on a baby rhino's skin; horns, that may either be tender or inflict serious pain. Droughts, predators, mating acrobatics - a rhino's life is as full of surprises as it is rich with deep social bonds from the start. So is the close relationship between Malaika and her son Elias. For years, the two of them are inseparable. But Malaika is pregnant. When she finally goes into labor, nothing is the same anymore.
Director: Rosie Koch and Roland GockelWe are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiWith the beginning of the first corona wave in 2020, Estonia was hit by the real chicken boom. The apocalyptic tendencies in the air lead hundreds of people living in towns to start growing their own vegetables and keep chicken in backyards. For coreographer Veronika chicken stands for a glamourous companion with whom she can go to work and use in art projects as a nice decorative thing. Veronika calls herself “The Chicken Queen” and rides her pink vintage bike through Kopli district with the intention to insist neighbours to start keeping chicken as well. An anthropologist Tanel calls all his five chicken by human names and for him the birds are funny friends with whom he can make all kind of tricks - hypnotize them, make them swing on a chicken swing and teach them playing xylophone. Also is he interested of the very strict social hierarchy of chicken and likes to analyze the “school bullying” amongst chicken. For Mindi a chicken is a best friend with whom to lay down on sofa together in the evening and share her life, whom to pet and comb, sew diapers and build a special chicken house in the cellar. Mindi also knows a bit of a chicken language. The style of “Feathers or glamour” is mainly observational, although there will be 2-3 directed scenes. We depict the life a chicken in town - the beauty and glamour but also the dark sides of it - walking with chicken harness, living in a cage and wearing diapers.
Director: Eva KübarThrough new epigenetic research, the film follows the growth of the Thale Cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) in their natural habitat, to the archives and to cell evolution. Thale Cresses shows us that life is shared by remembering. An poetic essay on an aspect of memory.
Director: Juhani HaukkaThe film "Where Do Frogs Come From?" observes the reproduction process of the two most common frog species in Northern Europe - the common frog and the common toad - from spring migration to the tadpole-to-frog transformation in high summer. Frog action takes place on land as well as on and under water. Things for the froggies do not always go without a hitch and they too struggle with miscalculations. There are misunderstandings and quarrels they endeavor to resolve. The life of tadpoles falls short of a carefree childhood and the little guys must resort to a variety of tricks to survive.
Director: Hannes RohtmaIn love with images and the cold, the wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone through the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and his telephoto lens, looking for animals that survive in extreme cold. During his upcoming expedition in the Canadian North, Jérémie is about to explore the wild and extreme Yukon region, with the ultimate goal of photographing the legendary mountain goat. The difficulty of access to the mountain territories where this animal dwells and the freezing temperatures will make the task challenging. Carried by adventures and unique human and animal encounters, this documentary allows gives us an an intimate view of this changing world.
Director: Mathieu Le LayWe are taken deep into the world of the seal. We are there when it’s born, when the fluffy white pup has its first swimming lesson. We are with the mother when the males fight and compete for her attentions. Most importantly we follow the seal underwater into its hidden domain.
Director: Johan CandertLuc, Mia and Anja are pigs. They live on a piece of no man's land between a railway and a small parking lot on the edge of the city. They are the protagonists of a neighborhood project in which they are fed surplus food by a group of volunteers. At first, this appears to be an earthly paradise for pigs, where they receive human affection and where good food abounds. But their peaceful existence is increasingly disturbed by the world around them. As summer gradually turns into autumn, their pastures are falling into disrepair and the hierarchy between the pigs is becoming more and more grim.
Director: Jimmy KetsThree women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
Director: Erika Gonzalez Ramirez & Matthieu LietaertNature is full of surprises, but all too often they escape our perception. Amazing animal behavior often takes place in secret and happens so quickly that we can hardly see it. Christian Baumeister's film reveals what remains hidden from the human eye. State-of-the-art camera technology, impressive super slow motion and amazing time lapses magically stage kingfishers, brown hares, bats and co. in extraordinary moments. A feast for the senses and an unforgettable film experience for the whole family.
Director: Christian BaumeisterIn the American Southwest, a towering Giant graces the skies, appearing lifeless but teeming with life as an iconic luxury hotel for desert creatures, each showcasing remarkable survival, hunting, and housing abilities; united by their encounters at the remarkable Cactus Hotel, the film unveils the enthralling tale of an old Saguaro cactus, its wild guests, unique habitats, and enduring tenants who call this spiky fortress home.
Director: Yann SochaczewskiWoodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson Prum"What is Wilderness?" asks what wilderness actually is. We learn that the greatest biodiversity is where large grazing animals are part of the habitat. But the species-rich large animal fauna that once existed has disappeared from Europe with the appearance of modern Homo sapiens Domestic animals, when grazing in the right numbers and as a proxy for the extinct large herbivores, perform the identical "ecosystem engineering" services. This is an opportunity for our future and not only because wild pastures have been shown to store more carbon than forests. But where many natural processes take place, we can achieve a state there that resembles a wilderness. A NEW WILDERNESS perhaps; - but a wilderness that is good and important for biodiversity, animal welfare, climate, our land and for the future of mankind.
Director: Jan HaftWOLF showcases unique footage of the wolf in the wild, giving an intimate insight into the real life of this wonderful animal, its strong family bonds, its positive influence on biodiversity and how remarkably similar they are to ‘man’s best friend’.
Director: Cees van KempenWoodpeckers: The Hole Story goes deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. All woodpeckers share some very special gifts – they are acutely adapted to life in the trees and are experts at working with wood.
Director: Ann Johnson PrumThis 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonMagnifica is a short documentary about the encounters between Finnish cottage-owners and a mysterious species called Pectinatella Magnifica. The film observes the people facing the new alien phenomena and their attempts to get rid of the uninvited visitor. But some have a less prejudicial approach than others.
Director: Ville KoskinenA true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampWhen wildlife films meets the performing arts. Director Maxence Lamoureux, in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Fiona Le Goff, takes you to meet the crane, whose courtship has inspired dances in cultures all around the world.
Director: Maxence LamoureuxThe Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzWhen a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneIn this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleThis stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixA contemporary of researchers Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey - Iain Douglas-Hamilton is regarded by many as the pioneer of behavioural field-based African elephant research. In fact, much of what we now know about elephant society and movements stems from his pioneering research in Tanzania in the 1960s. Douglas-Hamilton then swapped research for conservation when he led a passionate crusade against the ivory trade in the 70s and 80s and went on to set up global charity SAVE THE ELEPHANTS in the 1990s. With exceptional access, newly discovered archive and emotional and passionate interviewees, the film follows Iain as he re-visits his action-packed life.
Director: Nigel PopeUkrainian State Forest guard Pavlovych manages logging brigades that fulfill state, private and illegal orders. Pavlovych believes in doing the right thing while being part of the corrupted system himself. He loves the forest, but he also feels that he owns it. While Pavlovych finds out that someone from his team steals the trees, the next season of rain is coming… How comfortable is to sit on a branch you are cutting off?
Director: Volodymyr BakumThe documentary film, The World According to My Dad, captures the joint dream of a material physicist and his artist daughter for an effective solution to save the planet. Together, and with humour, they venture into many different platforms where no one is expecting or welcoming of them. On their journey, they try to navigate their way not only around the world of climate politics and the powers behind it but also with each other.
Director: Marta KovářováUnderdog Finnish light artist Kari Kola attempts the impossible: creating the world's largest light installation on a mountain in Ireland's rugged Connemara region. Commissioned by the city of Galway for the European Capital of Culture 2020 program, Kari pushes the boundaries of the possible, aiming for something truly "big." Inspired by Oscar Wilde's description of the region, he sets out to illuminate the entire mountain, transforming it into a breathtaking spectacle. Kari's journey is not just about the art; it's a testament to overcoming personal challenges. Throughout his life, his hyperactive nature and mathematical brilliance often led to misunderstandings. Yet, Kari's unwavering belief in the impossible fuels his determination to bring his vision to life. This documentary delves into the heart of this underdog artist, showcasing his struggle, his unique perspective, and his ultimate triumph in creating a luminous masterpiece.
Director: Janne TanskanenLocated on the Pamir highlands in Tajikistan, Bulunkul is a village left to its fate since the collapse of the Soviet Union. As winter approaches, the inhabitants organize their survival.
Director: Marie-Violaine Brincard & Olivier DurySource of life for over 300 million people, the Nile has been at the heart of power struggles for control of its water. For the past 10 years, Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam, the largest dam ever built in Africa, has poisoned relations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, and shaped the geopolitics of the region. This film gathers rare testimonies from a border region torn apart by armed conflict, where violence and massacres have scarred local communities already displaced by the construction of the dam.
Director: Sara CretaThe concrete dams built on Estonian rivers during the Soviet Union have reduced the number of migratory fish in the rivers to a critical level at times. For the past three years, the State Forest Management Centre, together with Põlula Fish Rearing Centre has been working on the removal of dams and relocating fish to the salmon rivers. This film shows the effect of dams on the spawning of migratory fish and what the river will look like after the dam is removed
Director: Sander Sandberg, Laur-Leho KaljumetsOn the Arctic Ocean coast of Chukotka live a people cut off from the world. Their life revolves around hunting walruses and whales and protecting villages from bears coming from the tundra. This theme turns the film into a reflection on death. Marine animals become the primary source of food for the people, animal leftovers are used to feed arctic foxes on a fur farm, human cemeteries become targets for bears. It appears that all the inhabitants of this region are involved in the cycle of food and death. The film departs from the typical rhythmic structure of cinema and instead adopts the structure of a shamanic ritual, which is a meaning-forming event for the northern peoples.
Director: Anastasia Shubina, Timofey GlininIn Estonia, hundreds of thousands of hectares of bogs have been drained for various purposes. This film introduces the work of the State Forest Management Center in the restoration of bogs and shows what needs to be done to make the residual bogs a suitable habitat again for the species there.
Director: Ants Tammik, Mihkel JärveojaThe Guajajara people decide not to stand idly by while their land and that of the uncontacted Awá people is being destroyed. They put together a group of forest guardians who are determined to defend the Amazon rainforest - if necessary with their own lives. Without any support from the government, they patrol one of the last remaining rainforests in the state of Maranhão, east of the Amazon in Brazil. They also share their land with the Awá, one of the last uncontacted people in the world, who are under great threat. Poor equipment, no pay and the constant threat of the logging mafia does not deter them from standing up for their land. But their work is dangerous. Olimpio, the leader, has a price on his head.
Director: Frederik SubeiThe documentary "Dog Eater" explores a border village in North Khorasan where tranquility is shattered by the disappearance of dogs and the fear instilled by a brazen panther. Villagers, instead of taking drastic measures, seek help from environmental authorities and experts. After ten days of struggle, they capture an old panther, shedding light on the mystery behind the dog-eating behavior. However, an unfortunate incident occurs after the panther is transported to Tehran, adding a tragic twist to the story.
Director: Fathollah Amiri, Nima AsgariThe fascinating true story about remarkable people tackling an exotic species invasion that nearly destroyed the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth: the Great Lakes. The silent predator devastated jobs and businesses, threatening the survival of cities, towns and indigenous communities across the region. The film traces how tenacious scientists identified the menace then struggled to control it. Their work continues to influence the Great Lakes region’s economic fortunes and sounds a warning about how invasive species threaten the future of vital natural resources and the prosperity of millions around the world today.
Director: Thomas Lindsey HaskinAn emotional artistic documentary about the return of wetlands to the landscape of the Šumava National Park. The unique shots of Radek Plíhal, captured during a three-year filming in the fascinating environment of Šumava, completed with the music of Lenka Dusilová and Petr Ostrouchov, tell the story of water. The story of her journey starting in the forest springs, wet meadows and bogs, passing through the streams to the river floodplain. The story of her deliberate damnation not long ago and the efforts of hundreds of people to bring it back. The film depicts the fundamental importance of water for the landscape, nature and for the unceasingly diverse life it brings.
Director: Radek PlihalEvery rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeWhen wildlife films meets the performing arts. Director Maxence Lamoureux, in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Fiona Le Goff, takes you to meet the crane, whose courtship has inspired dances in cultures all around the world.
Director: Maxence LamoureuxThis is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawStones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie Benoot"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeMacchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaEmbark on a cinematic adventure through the frozen expanse of the Arctic as the fascinating story of muskoxen is unveiled. Set against a landscape painted in shades of ice and snow, the documentary explores the strength and beauty of muskoxen living in hash winter conditions. They stand as silent witnesses coming from another time. Delving into the heart of their world, the film unravels the challenges posed by the harsh environment and the extraordinary resilience of these mighty creatures.
Director: Chris SchmidRivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerRivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerStones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie BenootEvery rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeFilmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadHedgehogs, polecats, lesser black-backed gulls, kestrels, rabbits and even seals and exotic Chinese mitten crabs. Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the edge takes you into the unexpected story of these and other animals living in Europe’s largest and busiest port area. In a landscape where humans are constantly changing everything, amid the steel factories, storage tanks, container ships, giant cranes and sprawling railroad lines, the animals seize their opportunities and often make remarkable choices in the process. While Wild Port of Europe shows that survival in such a highly industrialized environment is a life on the edge for wildlife, the film also mirrors nature’s challenges back to the human world, for we share a mutual uncertain future.
Director: Willem BerentsJan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftThe film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftThis 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonGo behind the scenes of The Kukang Rescue Program in an authentic time-lapse documentary about wildlife conservation, determination, successes, failures and friendship. The documentary does not lack views of hills covered with pristine forests as well as the chaos of noisy cities or shots of rare animals not only in the wild but also in crowded cages at animal markets, where filming is rarely possible. The serious topics and problems of Indonesia’s nature are interspersed with the authors’ often funny clashes with the country’s peculiar culture and crazy filming experiences. All this and much more is "The Kukang Movie: A Story about Slow Lorises and People" that you cannot miss!
Director: Ondřej SmékalIn the heart of the Arctic, the Yamal peninsula is the world’s largest gas exploitation zone, a symbol of Russia’s energy hyperpower. The NENETS have been pasturing here for over 200 generations. Can they survive this industrialisation? An environmental and Arctic western, this film explore the emergence of the Northern Sea Route and the disappearance of the last Siberian route of transhumance: the success of one may mean the extinction of the other.
Director: Sergio GhizzardiBirds of prey are our planet’s greatest hunters. United by a hooked beak, taste for flesh and razor-sharp talons, they have conquered the globe. This film tells the story of raptor’s unparalleled success. From familiar favourites to entirely new characters, we reveal the latest discoveries alongside extraordinary behaviours. We discover how birds of prey perfect the art of the hunt and how they adapt to the toughest environments. We also ask what the future holds for these remarkable birds in a rapidly changing world.
Director: Matt HamiltonIn this film, learn how forests connect and nurture the lives of countless species. Climb into a realm of thin air and towering rock. Tag along as mythical monkeys battle for a winter food stash, sing along with lemurs in a fruit-filled tree canopy and watch an aromatic tree bring together blossom and possum in a moonlit tryst.
Director: Andrew ZikkingAcross the planet, there are animals born to fight and destined to face their foe. Armed with weaponry, guile and tactics, these gladiators are destined to do battle. Some are fighting for territory; others for access to food or a mate; but ALL are fighting for the ultimate prize – survival. Gladiators unlocks the dramatic secrets and ingenious strategies of the animals in four iconic geographic regions. Each region serves as a breath-taking backdrop and gladiatorial arena for the battles that unfold within them. These battles will shape the destinies of all our characters, whether victorious or defeated. Only champions will reign supreme. In this episode, go up against Australia’s wiliest gladiators and their impressive arsenals. Learn if these weapons, such as the kangaroo’s deadly boxing moves and the redback spider’s precision-engineered traps, can help them survive the ravages of climate change.
Director: Will BensonFishermen in a distant village are trying to catch a special fish that has something worth of gold inside its stomach. In legends, this special fish is the protector of the tree of life.
Director: Mohsen Bakhtyar"Rhino Man" is the true story of the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa's rhinos from being poached to extinction. We follow Anton Mzimba, the head ranger of the Timbavati, as he protects the rhinos. He faces long deployments, dangerous working conditions, and constant threats to his life. Nearby, a legendary trainer, Ruben de Kock, struggles to inspire a group of 41 candidates, as he takes them through a rigorous ranger selection. Tragedy strikes when Anton is assassinated at home by a poaching syndicate. Ruben laments the loss of his friend. Prince William and the international community cry out for justice. We're left with Anton's hopeful message, and the determination of the rangers who vow to carry his torch.
Director: John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg, Daniel RobertsNo other place in Africa has such a concentration of nesting green sea turtles. Up to 40.000 specimens of this endangered and gigantic species, which can weigh more than 200kg, come here every season to build nests and lay their eggs. On only 2 km of beach, they make more than 60.000 nests. After hatching, thousands and thousands of tiny turtles leave this small island every year.
Director: Carlos Pérez RomeroMacchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaMagnifica is a short documentary about the encounters between Finnish cottage-owners and a mysterious species called Pectinatella Magnifica. The film observes the people facing the new alien phenomena and their attempts to get rid of the uninvited visitor. But some have a less prejudicial approach than others.
Director: Ville KoskinenWildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán Török"Operation Saimaa Seal" is a documentary film about the Saimaa ringed seal, its captivating habitat in Lake Saimaa, and the unwavering efforts of researchers who aim to save this critically endangered species. Climate change poses a grim future for the Saimaa ringed seal. The seal requires snow and ice to reproduce, but in the future there may not be snow nor ice on Lake Saimaa during winters. What will happen to the seal when climate change threatens to destroy its living conditions? Researchers have a solution: seal boxes. But what kind of artificial nest will the seal accept as its home?
Director: Petteri SaarioOne word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserThis is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawGianluca Grimalda lost his job for having refused to catch a plane. Hi did an act of civil disobedience to save 5 tons of CO2. Was it worth it?
Director: Paolo CasalisThe film delves into the world of radical climate activism in an intimate way. Filmmaker Felix Maria Bühler accompanies his five protagonists for a year. He goes with them on actions and gives an insight into the climate movements in Germany. The activists are faced with an important decision: How far are they prepared to go for their ideals?
Director: Felix Maria BühlerUlvi has lived almost her entire life in the Soomaa National Park in the middle of a deep forest and pristine nature. Even though the river next to her house is getting to the house every year due to the subsidence of the bank and the living conditions at home are becoming more difficult, Ulvi does not intend to leave her childhood home. What keeps her here are the Tori horses, whom she has raised for decades. Also she wants to continue with her special lifestyle, which she could have only in Soomaa.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenOf Children and Trees immerses in a forest school for a year and observes the schoolchildren as they play and learn. 30 children from kindergarten to 2nd grade spend day after day here, in sunshine, rain and snow. They explore the forest on their own, experience the cycle of nature and seek their role in the community. Here they find a living environment that allows them to develop personal responsibility, courage, imagination and creativity and to behave spontaneously and empathetically towards their fellow human beings and other creatures in this world.
Director: Natalie Pfister"Defenseless Mountains" follows the inspiring journey of Amir Hamzeh, a rural elder committed to safeguarding the endangered Gareen Mountains in Iran. With no governmental protection, Hamzeh faces numerous dangers as he employs indigenous methods to protect the local wildlife. The documentary takes a thrilling turn when rumors surface about the return of a rare brown bear species after half a century, reshaping the goals of local residents and environmental organizations. To realize these aspirations, Hamzeh must successfully prove the bears' presence in the Gareen Mountains.
Director: Mostafa GandomkarEvery rainy season, deep in the mountain forests of western Uganda, one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenon takes place. Millions, sometimes billions, of Long-horned Grasshoppers swarm together to mate in a rarely-filmed reminder of Nature’s epic scale. As if to underline the magic fickleness of this spectacle, these living clouds can descend for a moment before vanishing into the night as quickly as they came. It follows that Man has found a way to profit from this beautiful reproductive cycle. Harvesting grasshoppers in rural Uganda is a seriously lucrative business; fortunes are made in a matter of weeks providing this seasonal delicacy to hungry city-dwellers in the lowlands. Comprehensively filmed over the course of three seasons, Grasshopper Republic (which is also the locally-given name for the region) follows a local trapping team in strict verité style, as these modern-day prospectors push into remote forests and villages seeking their fortune by capturing this illusive prey by the barrel load. We witness massive generators being hauled up collapsing mudbanks. Light posts are erected with chemically treated bulbs, casting a lurid neon green pall over the tree canopy, irresistibly attracting the swarm to their corrugated iron traps. In deliberate contrast to this dystopian imposition, specialized macro cameras simultaneously transport the audience into an immersive natural world on a level with the perspective of the grasshoppers. A parade of frame-filling bugs heightens this magnified reality – accentuating the bizarrely human-like qualities of these insects while also highlighting the peril that lies behind every leaf. The risk to the human hunters is all-too real as well. As our metaphor on Man’s fraught relationship with Nature continues to unfold we learn the harrowing cost that these toxic lights bestow upon our band of trappers and their homeland. A scorched earth of skin disease and ruined crops reveals the downside of this gold rush.
Director: Daniel McCabeA true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampStones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone . A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey meeting Palestinian quarry workers, passionate Britisch Geologist and People living on the lava fields of Fogo.
Director: Sofie BenootJan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftThe Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzRivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerWildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán TörökIn the heart of winter, determined vegetable growers brave the cold by cultivating in greenhouses with little or no heating. Winter Harvest chronicles the daily lives of these pioneers who achieve the nearly-impossible feat of offering fresh locally grown vegetables year-round.
Director: Amélie DussaultA documentary that delves into the intricate connections among all living organisms and underscores the critical need to preserve biodiversity. Featuring breathtaking visuals and insightful interviews with scientists and environmentalists, the film showcases the biomimicry design methodology and emphasizes the urgent necessity of adopting a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.
Director: Fernanda Heinz Figueiredo & Ataliba BenaimA handful of photographers look back on the Documerica Project, a long-forgotten epic photo survey of the American environment launched in the early 1970s at the height of environmental awareness. Embodying a moment of truth in a country that had reached the limits of its American Dream, the images of Documerica bear witness to a missed meeting with History. And beyond that, they announce the world in which we live today.
Director: Pierre-François DidekUnable to come to terms with the cruel reality of animal agriculture, a former Texas cattle rancher goes vegan and transforms her husband's beef operation into a farmed animal sanctuary. When their story goes viral, she realizes her true calling: to help farmers transition to plant-based and end their business of animal agriculture. "Rowdy Girl" showcases the inspiring work of an animal activist who has been on both sides and proves that there is a common ground between farmers and vegans - a shared mission of compassion and sustainability.
Director: Jason GoldmanJan Haft presents the natural processes in a forest in which man no longer bends a branch of a tree. If a former timber plantation is left to nature, trees sometimes die in times of climate change. A strange circumstance then always becomes apparent: what was once a relatively monotonous forest first has to be "destroyed" by storms and beetles for biodiversity to explode. A circumstance that has to do with the light that is now available. At the end, the film describes what happens when a new, resilient forest grows. And what consequences this has for nature.
Director: Jan HaftThe Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzThis stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. Mix"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeA true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampThe film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan Haft"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti Helde"Operation Saimaa Seal" is a documentary film about the Saimaa ringed seal, its captivating habitat in Lake Saimaa, and the unwavering efforts of researchers who aim to save this critically endangered species. Climate change poses a grim future for the Saimaa ringed seal. The seal requires snow and ice to reproduce, but in the future there may not be snow nor ice on Lake Saimaa during winters. What will happen to the seal when climate change threatens to destroy its living conditions? Researchers have a solution: seal boxes. But what kind of artificial nest will the seal accept as its home?
Director: Petteri SaarioThis stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixOne word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserWhen a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneUlvi has lived almost her entire life in the Soomaa National Park in the middle of a deep forest and pristine nature. Even though the river next to her house is getting to the house every year due to the subsidence of the bank and the living conditions at home are becoming more difficult, Ulvi does not intend to leave her childhood home. What keeps her here are the Tori horses, whom she has raised for decades. Also she wants to continue with her special lifestyle, which she could have only in Soomaa.
Director: Mirjam MatiisenIn this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleFilmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadIn this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleThe Kalahari is a dry and barren desert that nevertheless offers a surprising diversity of species. One of the rare and fascinating creatures that live here is the Ground pangolin. It resembles a cute dinosaur and is the only mammal that wears horn scales. The meerkat watches its surroundings carefully and is always on the lookout for enemies. Together with its colony, it goes foraging and digs through the ground in search of treats. In the north-east of Namibia lie the great rivers. Here, a matriarch leads a herd of elephants. Elephant societies are very complex: mothers with their children, sisters and aunts with their own offspring. They all form a close-knit family herd. From the dry savannahs to the vast riverine landscapes: Namibia is the land of a thousand faces, wonders and stories. It is a world of little heroes and great hunters.
Director: Jens Westphalen / Thoralf GrospitzThis stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. MixA true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne SteenkampFilmmaker Asgeir Helgestad documents the state of nature at his home country Norway, where he has photographed all his life. From the lives of bees at his farm, to wild reindeer on the high mountains, and puffins at the ocean’s edge, he shows the beauty of threatened nature and tracks down human actions responsible for its decline. This is a personal story on our connection with the non-human world, the relations between the small and the big, and a reminder of nature’s strength and vulnerability.
Director: Asgeir HelgestadMacchina Fissa was the name given to the pumps used to drain swamp water and irrigate agricultural land in the Po Valley. South of Mantua, in Borgo Virgilio, just beyond the banks of the Mincio River, is a pumping station built in the mid-1800s. Once operated by steam engines, it’s been in disuse for a century and is now home to the cultural association Reading Retreats in Rural Italy and Clark Lawrence’s garden. The garden is inhabited predominantly by annual plants, which, at the end of their growth cycle in late autumn, flaunt their expired vitality and their beauty even when dried out. Winter is the time for Clark to harvest seeds for the next season and carry out a vigorous garden clean-up, assisted in his enterprise by the beloved goats that clear away the remaining vegetation and actively contribute to fertilizing the garden. In spring, the sowing of new plants begins. Most loved by Clark are American plants, or rather, those of the Native Americans: pumpkins, corn, and beans, which populate the garden, together with castor oil plants, amaranths, cosmos, evening primroses, ipomoeas, and hundreds of other varieties. The documentary follows Clark in his work and his philosophy of a garden as a place in which to “swim among the plants”. A garden designed “…by looking outside at what surrounds it: the landscape, plants, climate, and manmade constructions. Looking outside first and then thinking about what to do inside”.
Director: Emilio Neri TremoladaIn Estonia, hundreds of thousands of hectares of bogs have been drained for various purposes. This film introduces the work of the State Forest Management Center in the restoration of bogs and shows what needs to be done to make the residual bogs a suitable habitat again for the species there.
Director: Ants Tammik, Mihkel JärveojaIn this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleWhen a heavy summer storm strikes Central Europe with gales, lightning, hail and torrential rain, how do the native animals find ways to endure it? In times of climate change, as weather extremes become more frequent and pose enormous challenges, humans aren’t the only ones impacted. The Storm follows the struggle of insects, storks, raccoons, foxes and moles when the weather turns against them. Breathtaking footage reveals how animals and plants react to the first warning signs, what surprising strategies they use to ride out the storm and sometimes even benefit from it.
Director: Michael R. Gärtner, Robin JähneThis is a cheetah family like no other. Nine cubs and two mothers, who against all odds have kept all these cubs alive in South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve. Their true story began with a chance meeting of Inara and her four cubs and Chilli with her five. Now cubs suckle from different mothers, and mothers raise each other’s cubs. Chilli and Inara are themselves, mother and daughter. But adult female cheetahs are solitary animals. This family breaks all the rules. Inara has recently lost the family. For now, all nine cubs are under Chilli’s care. Alone for weeks, Inara has gone back into estrous. She’s now searching for a mate. The family’s future is uncertain and more precarious than ever before.
Director: Hansa WinshawThis 100% animal documentary brings us closer to the deer through the seasons and the years, from its first steps as a fawn to its adulthood.
Director: Frank PizonRivers can become a danger. This has been demonstrated by the flood disasters of recent years. Often because their natural course is itself endangered - straightened, channelled or dammed. This film tells of the amazing connections in a river that is still allowed to be a river of life. A river that can flow untamed and create. Here, otters, dragonflies, little ringed plovers and catfish are all links in a chain. Of life and death. There are no "disasters" in the river. As long as nothing flows in that doesn't belong there and destroys the natural balance.
Director: Uwe MüllerA true coming-of-age story about three orphaned desert lion cubs who discovered a most remarkable way of survival along the mystical shores of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. A story as surprising as it is inspiring: a true-life drama about resilience and survival. Documented over eight years, we follow the ground-breaking work of lion researcher Dr Philip Stander as he witnesses the orphaned cubs’ incredible journey, from their first unsteady steps in the heart of the desert, to their remarkable discovery of an extraordinary life along the hostile Skeleton Coast.
Director: Will and Lianne Steenkamp"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeOne word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserThe film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan HaftOne word, above all, defines Vietnam: unique. It´s home to many animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, humans are claiming more and more land for their own purposes, displacing the animals and endangering their existence. As civilisation encroaches on the wilderness, the animals find themselves trapped. For now, some refuges remain. Remote, untamed habitats, like the mysterious mountain rainforests of north Vietnam.
Director: Heike Grebe, Johannes Berger, Michael Riegler, Stephan KrasserWildlife filmmaker Zoltán Török has chosen Sweden as his home. Two decades after he started his career here, he embarks on a journey with his family. They want to see how their beloved Nordic country’s nature has shifted since they first arrived. It’s an emotional odyssey across Sweden with remarkable wildlife encounters - while Zoltán’s family is changing too...
Director: Zoltán TörökIn this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of “Parents in the Wild” worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. "Parents in the Wild" is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Director: Annette Scheurich & Moritz MayerleThis stunning film explores the „land“ with the highest bear density on our planet - the remote coastal regions of Northeast Asia. From the Bering Sea, where massive polar bears go without a meal for months on end, to the fish-rich coasts of the Pacific Ocean, where enormous brown bears await the annual flood of salmon, sometimes feasting, at other times driven to attack their own. And in the enigmatic forests of the Sea of Japan, the Asiatic black bear may find itself pursued by a deadly foe – the tiger. The film reveals the challenges bears must overcome, to show just what amazing survivors they are, from spending half their lives in a troubled, hungry sleep, to the rest of the time hunting ingeniously for food. Bears are often seen as dangerous, aggressive thieves. But there is a lot more to the bear than meets the eye!
Director: Henry M. Mix"Vertical Money" is a nature catastrophe film that made scandalous news even before it’s release in Estonia. Shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia the film opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of the common property. The film also offers solutions to move out of the deadlock of the debate and directs attention to the information that has been buried under the messages of controlled communication in the information noise of the forest war. The same kind of war that's being held across the globe.
Director: Martti HeldeHedgehogs, polecats, lesser black-backed gulls, kestrels, rabbits and even seals and exotic Chinese mitten crabs. Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the edge takes you into the unexpected story of these and other animals living in Europe’s largest and busiest port area. In a landscape where humans are constantly changing everything, amid the steel factories, storage tanks, container ships, giant cranes and sprawling railroad lines, the animals seize their opportunities and often make remarkable choices in the process. While Wild Port of Europe shows that survival in such a highly industrialized environment is a life on the edge for wildlife, the film also mirrors nature’s challenges back to the human world, for we share a mutual uncertain future.
Director: Willem BerentsThe film depicts the fascinating connections between the creatures in the forest and explains the perfect cycle of nature, where the various small and large species form a huge network. It turns out that the forest is by no means just the realm of trees, but also a world of animals.
Director: Jan Haft